VisualSonics Photoacoustic and Ultrasound Imaging System

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案请求NIH支持购买VisualSonics Vevo LAZR光声和超声（PA/US）成像系统。该系统是专门为临床前小动物研究设计的独特集成成像系统。此次收购将减少为研究而牺牲的动物数量，并使成本效益高、可靠的纵向研究成为可能。该仪器将服务于4个不同的部门，16个NIH资助的项目作为主要用户，3个项目作为次要用户，涵盖各种主题。它满足了波士顿地区现有系统的关键需求，这些系统要么被安置在BL3设施中，要么被用于单一项目使用，要么位于不方便的距离。关键应用如下，其中，通过将光声和超声技术结合到一个单一的集成Vevo系统中，将提供增强的功能：“同时捕获并实时呈现成像目标的生理和解剖信息”获得非侵入性高分辨率3D图像，用于治疗计划；“测量组织氧合和血流动力学”纵向监测同一动物的生理和解剖变化。参与这项提议的研究人员来自MGH的威尔曼光电医学中心（皮肤病学和病理学），马蒂诺斯中心（放射学）和心血管研究中心（医学）代表了生物医学研究领域的领先研究人员，他们专注于利用成像技术了解各种高影响疾病的病理生理学，如癌症、心血管疾病、脑功能异常、神经病理学和损伤，以及抗生素耐药性感染，并将这些见解转化为临床实践。总的来说，这些科学家拥有使用目前可用于生物医学研究的最复杂的光学成像技术的经验，每种技术都有其固有的优点和缺点。作为一个团队，他们已经确定，最近市售的VisualSonics PA/US仪器的功能将补充目前使用的系统。这将大大提高他们的研究质量和生产力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests NIH support to purchase a VisualSonics Vevo LAZR Photoacoustic and Ultrasound (PA/US) Imaging system. This system is a uniquely integrated imaging system specifically designed for pre-clinical small animal research. This acquisition will reduce the number of animals sacrificed for studies and enable cost-effective, robust longitudinal investigations. The instrument will serve 4 different departments, 16 NIH funded grant projects as major users and 3 projects as minor users spanning a diverse array of topics. It fills a critical need as the existing systems in the Boston area, are not accessible either due to being housed in BL3 facilities, committed to single project use or being located at inconvenient distances. Key applications are listed below, where, by combining photoacoustic and ultrasound technologies into a single, integrated Vevo system, the will provide enhanced capabilities to: " Simultaneously capture and present in real time, both physiological and anatomical information of the imaged target " Obtain non-invasively high resolution 3D images for treatment planning, of tissue at a depth not obtainable with other optical imaging technologies " Measure tissue oxygenation and hemodynamics " Longitudinally monitor the physiological and anatomical changes in the same animal The investigators participating in this proposal from MGH's Wellman Center for Photomedicine (Dermatology and Pathology), Martinos Center (Radiology) and Cardiovascluar Research Center (Medicine) represent leading researchers in biomedical research focused on using imaging technology to understand the pathophysiology of a diverse array of high impact diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, abnormal brain function, neurological pathologies and injury, and antibiotic resistant infections, and on translating that insight into clinical practice. Collectivey, these scientists have experience using the most sophisticated optical imaging technologies currently available to biomedical research, each of which has its own intrinsic strengths and weaknesses. As a group, they have determined that the capabilities of the recently commercially available VisualSonics PA/US instrument will complement, currently used systems. It will greatly enhance the quality and productivity of their research.