Ultrasound has long been an extremely important tool in the practice of clinical medicine because it offers real-time imaging providing understanding of anatomy and physiology, is non-invasive and can be repeated serially.
The small animal ultrasound core laboratory has the capability to extend ultrasound imaging to mouse, rat, and other animal models with excellent spatial and temporal resolution. The facility has two state-of-the-art VisualSonics 2100 ultrasound machines, and probes that cover the spectrum from 9-70 MHz (standard human clinical ultrasound covers the spectrum from 2.5-12 MHz). These machines are capable of real-time 2D imaging as well as a full spectrum of Doppler techniques (pulsed-wave, color, tissue, power). One of the two machines is also capable of 3D imaging and contrast imaging (both targeted and non-targeted). Software is available for advanced image analysis of cardiac mechanics with speckle tracking that allows analysis of strain and strain rate. These tools allow near histologic resolution imaging of live animals, and are well suited to challenging applications such as the resolving the rapid heart rates of mice, or the microscopic size and function of early and mid-gestation embryos, and everything in between.
The core has capability for anesthesia and monitoring of mice and rats, and will support training your laboratory personnel in the design of protocols and the use of the equipment for acquiring images. An off-line image analysis station is also available for later review and analysis of studies.
