Research

Research Collaborative Efforts for Animal Imaging – Center for In Vivo Microscopy (CIVM) at Duke University, USA

For the dedicated imaging studies, access to the vital infrastructure of the CIVM at Duke has been established as part of successful international collaborative funding through two on-going projects. The MR imaging systems at the CIVM are unique, using specially designed high-field magnets and gradients interfaced to state-of-the-art clinical imaging consoles. These include a 2T medium bore MR microscope (Oxford 30-cm horizontal bore magnet), GE Excite console, 2 sets of 18 Gauss/cm shielded gradients, 15 cm clear bore with switching speeds of 400mT/m over 120 mm FOV, 1 MHz receivers, and a scan synchronous ventilator system, a 7T medium bore MR microscope (Magnex 21-cm horizontal bore with GE Excite console, 2 sets of 40 Gauss/cm shielded gradients, with gradient switching of 770 mT/m over 90mm), and a 9.4T MR microscope. Four dedicated systems support MR, CT, X-ray and PET reconstruction. Workstations support the visualization and analysis package VGStudio MAX, as well as Amira, Volocity, and Vitrea. A dedicated “analysis engine” supports custom image analysis workflows. Authorized users inside and outside the Center can access project/animal/ scan web applications through a secure proxy server.

The laboratory was established in February 2007 in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering with University (start-up) and Departmental funding. Critical to the establishment and initial strides was funding from the Hellenic Bank. The faculty, research associates, and students associated with the lab are interested in the study of global and molecular mechanisms of cardiac mechanics and force generation, as well as on the patho-physiological mechanisms of disease and transgenesis, with emphasis on the murine heart. Additionally, ongoing work and interests exist on the mechanical and functional modeling of the murine and human hearts through the development of new imaging techniques, advanced applications, and processing tools.