High Resolution Ultrasound Resource for Molecular Imaging Center

描述(申请人提供)：医学成像仪器的最新进展已经产生了微型版本的X射线、放射性核和磁共振扫描仪，用于小型实验动物的研究。这一点，加上日益复杂的转基因小鼠模型，正在推动在整个动物水平上研究体内疾病和发育过程的一场革命。这项提案要求为高分辨率超声波设备提供资金，以促进和改善在癌症和心脏病领域对小动物的跨学科研究。高频超声是一种新兴的检测手段，在小动物模型中具有很大的应用潜力。通过增加换能器频率，工程师们已经能够实现与临床超声成像类似的分辨率与对象大小的比率。因此，解剖学和生理学(例如，血流速度)可视化和测量能力现在完全可以用于小动物。此外，微泡技术的最新发展提供了一种非常有效的血管内对比增强手段，并正在扩展到分子靶向，这可能对治疗药物的传递产生重大影响。在过去的几年里，在NIH/NCI P20规划拨款的支持下，南加州大学建立了一个分子成像中心。申请的超声扫描仪将安装在该中心的分子成像实验室并进行操作，在那里它将补充从NCRR购买的其他共享设备，包括小动物PET、CT和光学成像系统。。超声波将用一种非电离辐射方式来补充我们现有的小动物成像能力，这将为我们提供实时、非侵入性的解剖成像。高频超声成像将极大地促进我们使用原位肿瘤模型，因为它允许在图像引导下在深层器官和组织中植入。小动物研究的其他应用将包括：连续监测肿瘤生长和肿瘤对治疗的反应；图像引导下对肿瘤和移植器官进行连续活检，以进行体外组织病理学和分子分析；连续评估肿瘤和器官的血液供应，以及评估心脏功能，包括左心室射血分数。所要求的仪器的增加将提高聚集在一起的小灵通资助的研究人员的生产力，他们在不同的医学领域工作。这些研究人员的发现和进步最终将对公共卫生产生直接的积极影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent advances in the instrumentation for medical imaging have produced miniaturized versions of x-ray, radionuclear and magnetic resonance scanners for studies in small laboratory animals. This, coupled with increasingly sophisticated transgenic mouse models, is driving a revolution in the investigation of disease and developmental processes in vivo at the whole-animal level. This proposal requests funding for a high-resolution ultrasound device to facilitate and improve interdisciplinary research in small animals in the areas of cancer and cardiac disease. High-frequency ultrasound is a newly emerging modality with great potential for use in small animal models. By increasing transducer frequencies, engineers have been able to achieve resolution-to-subject size ratios similar to those of clinical ultrasound imaging. As a result, anatomical and physiological (e.g., blood velocity) visualization and measurement capabilities are now fully available for use in small animals. Furthermore, recent development of microbubble technology has provided a very effective means of intravascular contrast enhancement and is being extended to molecular targeting, which could have a major impact on therapeutic delivery. During the last several years, a Molecular Imaging Center has been established at USC with support from an NIH/NCI P20 planning grant. The requested ultrasound scanner will be housed and operated in the Center's Molecular Imaging Laboratory, where it will complement other shared-use devices purchased with previous awards from the NCRR, including small-animal PET, CT and optical imaging systems. . Ultrasound would supplement our existing small-animal imaging capabilities with a non-ionizing radiation modality that would give us real-time, non-invasive anatomic imaging. High- frequency ultrasound imaging would greatly facilitate our use of orthotopic tumor models by allowing image-guided implantation in deep-lying organs and tissues. Other applications in small animal research will include: serial monitoring of tumor growth and tumor response to treatment; image-guided serial biopsy of tumors and implanted organs for ex vivo histopathology and molecular assay; serial assessment of tumor and organ blood supply, as well as evaluation of cardiac function, including left ventricular ejection fraction The requested ultrasound scanner will be used by investigators in the fields of radiology/nuclear medicine, surgery, pathology, biochemistry/molecular biology, pharmaceutical sciences, and biomedical engineering. Addition of the requested instrument will increase the productivity of assembled PHS-funded investigators who are working in various areas of medicine. The discoveries and advancements made by these investigators will ultimately have a direct positive impact on public health.