ShEEP Request for Preclinical Micro-Ultrasound Imaging Core

这项建议解决了建立临床前微超声成像核心的需要。这个 Fujifilm-Visualsonics Inc.Vevo3100高分辨率显微超声系统提供最先进的成像 这将加快对退伍军人管理局医疗任务重要领域的研究工作，包括精神健康 疾病、创伤性脑损伤、脊髓损伤、心脏病、骨科损伤和中风。此外， 临床前微超声成像核心将补充现有核心(小动物集成 行为和生理评估核心，退伍军人管理局动物研究外科套件，退伍军人管理局细胞和 分子评估核心、组织学和细胞成像核心)在拉尔夫研究所的研究服务中 位于南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿的H.Johnson退伍军人医疗中心。我们的目标是为我们的 研究人员，为了促进从亚细胞水平到 整个动物。这些核心设施，围绕关键设备项目建造，往往比单一的 实验室可以提供，已建立的设计，以支持和推进我们的广泛 直接影响我们退伍军人医疗保健的研究计划。提出的中心假说 这个核心是与临床相关的技术，它允许实时评估疾病或伤害的存在 和进展，将增强我们退伍军人管理局调查人员所做工作的翻译意义。这 假设将通过4个主要成像目标来解决：1)使用以下方法对目标组织进行基本成像 标准超声技术，集成了生理监测(2D、B模式、M模式、 心脏/呼吸门控)；2)先进的算法，以解决特定组织的特征，如心肌或 血管壁应力和应变(VevoTrace、VevoS、VevoVasc、斑点跟踪)；3)能够使用新的 对比剂可增强组织、血流或目标分析物定位的成像(对比剂模式 靶向/非靶向微泡对比度)；以及4)目标组织的3D高级体积成像 时间(4D成像)以及整合彩色多普勒、能量多普勒和对比度成像数据的能力。这个 Vevo3100高分辨率显微超声成像系统，包括先进的软件包 小动物生理学的详细定量评估(使用脉搏波和 彩色多普勒、心脏和血管性能和几何形状)使用多种模式(2D、3D和4D成像， MicroMarker造影剂)，并可应用于常规的遗传、疾病和损伤模型 被我们的调查人员使用。这些评估直接适用于代表这些问题的医疗问题 影响我们退伍军人的疾病，如血管疾病、心脏病、神经疾病、肌肉骨骼 病理学、中风、创伤性脑损伤和脊髓损伤。鉴于其多功能性和集成性， 我们的核心设施，退伍军人管理局的调查人员将能够对动物进行高分辨率的显微超声成像，以及 该数据可以与其他核心数据协同使用，例如从生理学和 行为评估的核心。建议的核与我们现有的核的集成使我们的研究人员能够 进行全方位的生理评估。这代表着一个独特的基础设施，它将显著 推进我们当地VAMC正在进行的研究。所要求的仪器将进一步增强 地方退伍军人管理局研究能力符合该部秘书概述的目标 退伍军人事务卓越蓝图。

This proposal addresses a need for the establishment of a Preclinical Micro-Ultrasound Imaging Core. The FujiFilm-VisualSonics Inc. Vevo3100 High Resolution Micro-Ultrasound system provides state-of-the-art imaging that will accelerate research efforts in areas important to the VA medical mission including mental health disorders, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac disease, orthopedic injury, and stroke. Furthermore, the Preclinical Micro-Ultrasound Imaging Core will complement existing cores (the Small Animal Integrated Behavioral and Physiological Assessment Core, the VA Animal Research Surgical Suite, the VA Cellular and Molecular Evaluation Core, and Histology and Cellular Imaging Core) within the Research Service at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC. We aim to provide state-of-the-art equipment to our investigators, in order to facilitate comprehensive methods of evaluation spanning from the subcellular level to the whole animal. These core facilities, built around key equipment items often costing more than what a single laboratory can provide, have been established by design in order to support and advance our wide-ranging research program that directly impacts the health care of our Veterans. The central hypothesis addressed by this core, is that clinically relevant technology that permits the real-time assessment of disease or injury presence and progression, will enhance the translational significance of the work being done by our VA investigators. This hypothesis will be addressed through 4 Primary Imaging Objectives: 1) Basic imaging of a target tissue using standard ultrasonic techniques with the integration of physiological monitoring (2D, B-mode, M-mode, cardiac/respiratory gating); 2)Advanced algorithms to address tissue specific characteristics like myocardial or vascular wall stress and strain (VevoTrace, VevoStrain, VevoVasc, Speckle tracking); 3) The ability to use novel contrast agents to enhance imaging of tissues, blood flow, or targeted analyte localization (Contrast mode with targeted/non-targeted Microbubble Contrast); and 4) Advanced volumetric imaging of a target tissue in 3D over time (4D imaging) and the ability to integrate color Doppler, power Doppler, and Contrast imaging data. The Vevo3100 High-resolution Micro-Ultrasound Imaging system, including the advanced software packages for detailed quantitative assessment of small animal physiology (blood flow measurements using pulse wave and color Doppler, heart and vascular performance and geometry) using multiple modalities (2D, 3D, and 4D imaging, MicroMarker contrast agents) and can be applied to the genetic-, disease-, and injury- models that are routinely used by our investigators. These assessments are directly applicable to medical issues that represent those affecting our Veterans such as vascular disease, cardiac disease, neurologic illness, musculoskeletal pathologies, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Given the versatility and integrated nature of our core facilities, VA Investigators will be able conduct high-resolution micro-ultrasound imaging of animals, and the data can be used synergistically with other core data, such as that obtained from the physiological and behavior assessment core. The integration of the proposed core with our existing cores allows our researchers to conduct full-service physiological assessments. This represents a unique infrastructure that will significantly advance the research being conducted at our local VAMC. The requested instrumentation will further enhance local VA research capabilities in line with the objectives outlined within the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Blueprint for Excellence.