Small Animal Ultrasound Imager - Vevo 2100

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案要求为购买最先进的Vevo 2100高分辨率超声成像系统（Visual Sonics）提供资金。该系统将被集成到科罗拉多大学丹佛安舒茨医学院（AMC）心脏病科/医学系内的小动物血流动力学（SAH）核心机构中并由其管理。由于Vevo 2100的高度先进技术，该系统将显著扩展SAH核心的当前能力，并将加强科罗拉多大学正在进行的全系统合作。心脏病科的一个主要研究重点是将临床前模型中的发现转化为治疗人类心力衰竭的新疗法。此外，我们与肾脏疾病和肺科的研究小组密切合作，以了解心：肾和心：肺串扰在心肾疾病和肺血管/右心室重塑的发病机制中的作用。最近，我们开始了合作，重点是啮齿动物模型中的肿瘤转移，生物标志物发现和造影成像（见图）。所有这些努力都将受益于Vevo 2100的收购，这将使啮齿动物模型中的心脏结构和功能，肾和肺血流以及肿瘤形成的非侵入性纵向测量成为可能。此外，这种高清晰度超声系统将提供一个宝贵的工具，用于监测通过心脏内或门静脉注射的细胞和治疗剂的局部输送。Vevo 2100具有许多临床仪器的共同特征，将对科罗拉多大学NIH资助的研究产生巨大影响，并有可能促进将基础科学发现转化为人类疾病的新疗法。除了上述合作，通过收费服务安排，SAH核心服务于一个多样化的研究小组，不仅在AMC校园，其中有两个独立的动物设施，而且在科罗拉多儿童医院和科罗拉多大学博尔德。对于所有这些研究，我们采用单个Vevo 770仪器（VisualSonics），该仪器位于研究中心II（RCII）的无病原体动物设施中。我们经常收到来自研究人员的超声协助请求，这些研究人员在其他建筑物或校外饲养动物。由于不允许这些研究者将动物转移到RCII机构，我们尝试通过将Vevo 770转移到心脏病科内的SAH Core专用房间来容纳它们。不幸的是，该房间不是无病原体的，因此将仪器移动回动物设施需要大量的去污，导致至少一周的超声停机时间。通过收购Vevo 2100，我们将能够将Vevo 770仪器专用于在其他建筑物中饲养动物的研究人员的实验。因此，除了Vevo 2100的技术进步将增强我们的工作之外，拥有第二台超声仪器将使我们能够满足整个大丹佛都会区科学家对超声心动图日益增长的需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests funds for the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Vevo2100 high-resolution ultrasound imaging system (Visual Sonics). This system would be integrated into and managed by the Small Animal Hemodynamic (SAH) Core facility within the Division of Cardiology/Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC). Due to the highly advanced technology of the Vevo2100, this system would significantly expand the current capabilities of the SAH Core and would enhance on-going, system-wide collaborations at the University of Colorado. A major focus of research in the Division of Cardiology is on translating findings made in pre-clinical models into novel therapeutics for the treatment of heart failure in humans. In addition, we collaborate closely with research groups in the Divisions of Renal Disease and Pulmonology to understand the role of heart: kidney and heart: lung cross-talk in the pathogenesis of cardiorenal disease and pulmonary vascular/right ventricular remodeling. More recently, we have initiated collaborations focused on tumor metastasis, biomarker discovery and contrast imaging in rodent models (see Figure). All of these efforts would benefit from the acquisition of a Vevo2100, which would enable non-invasive, longitudinal measurements of cardiac structure and function, renal and pulmonary blood flow and tumor formation in rodent models. In addition, this high-definition ultrasound system would provide an invaluable tool for monitoring localized delivery of cells and therapeutic agents via intra-cardiac or portal vein injection. The Vevo2100, which has many features in common of clinical instruments, would have a tremendous impact on NIH-funded research at the University of Colorado, and has the potential to facilitate translation of basic science discoveries into novel treatments for human disease. In addition to the aforementioned collaborations, through fee-for-service arrangements, the SAH Core serves a diverse group of investigators, not only on the AMC campus, which has two separate animal facilities, but also in the Colorado Children's Hospital and University of Colorado Boulder. For all of these studies we employ a single Vevo770 instrument (VisualSonics), which is located in a pathogen- free animal facility in Research Center II (RCII). We frequently receive requests for ultrasound assistance from investigators who house animals in other buildings or off-campus. Since these investigators are not allowed to transfer animals into the RCII facility, we attempt to accommodate them by moving the Vevo770 to an SAH Core- dedicated room within the Division of Cardiology. Unfortunately, this room is not pathogen-free, and thus movement of the instrument back to the animal facility requires extensive decontamination, resulting in at least one week of ultrasound down- time. With the acquisition of a Vevo2100, we would be able to dedicate the Vevo770 instrument to experiments for investigators who house animals in other buildings. Thus, in addition to the technological advances of the Vevo2100 that will enhance our work, having a second ultrasound instrument will enable us to meet the increasing demands for echocardiography from scientists throughout the greater Denver metropolitan area.