With this application we request funds from the ORD Shared Equipment Evaluation Program (ShEEP) to purchase a live animal micro CT scanner as a shared resource to be housed in the Research Service of the Omaha VA Medical Center. Specifically, we seek to obtain a Perkin Elmer Quantum GX2 micro CT high-resolution desktop in vivo microtomograph. The Quantum GX2 allows for rapid, high-resolution full body imaging of live rodent species. The Quantum GX2 will provide state-of-the art in vivo live animal imaging capabilities not currently available on the Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) campus or its academic Affiliate, the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). This device will add new capabilities to the existing Omaha VA shared imaging equipment consisting of an IVIS Lumina K Series III system previously purchased by a ShEEP award as well as an Echo MRI imaging system for body composition determinations. As such, the Quantum GX2 micro CT imaging system will significantly enhance the research capabilities of both Omaha VA investigators as well as attract new collaborations with affiliate investigators. The Quantum GX2 is a high performance desktop in vivo micro-CT with variable magnification levels for scanning small laboratory animals as well as ex vivo tissues. This device features high resolution, large image size, both round and helical scanning for reconstruction, and low dose imaging. Because of the large image field of view of the Quantum GX2, full body mouse and rat scanning can be performed. The variable magnification allows scanning bone and tissue samples with high spatial resolution down to 2.3 m pixel size. A range of filters allows for diverse tissue density applications from lung tissue to bone. Further, the Quantum GX2 in vivo micro CT administers low radiation dose to the animals allowing multiple longitudinal scans without radiation-induced side effects. The Quantum GX2 enables reconstruction of 3D-images and the quantitative calculation of tissue morphometry. Importantly, the Quantum GX2 micro CT scanner is optimized for longitudinal analyses, which is directly applicable to the studies being performed at the OVAMC that are investigating the functional and anatomical basis for diseases that are directly relevant to the mission of the VA. The Quantum GX2 micro CT Imaging System has the flexibility to serve the experimental needs of all the listed participating investigators in this application. This imaging system creates new capability for both the Omaha VAMC as well as our Affiliate University (UNMC), and thus creates new capacity that does not currently exist. The Quantum GX2 will allow for new ways of analyzing our researchers? existing Veteran-relevant, preclinical disease models, thus promoting the understanding of disease pathophysiology in hopes to advance the therapeutic interventions that will support the mission of the VA in advancing the health care of today?s Veterans.
This application requests funds to purchase a Quantum GX2 micro CT Imaging System from Perkin Elmer. The Quantum GX2 allows for rapid, high resolution imaging of live rodent species (mouse and rat) and will bring new research capabilities to investigators at the Omaha VAMC and attract new collaborations from investigators at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The GX2 micro CT represents advancement in live animal imaging not currently available to us, and yet is a flexible device capable of meeting the diverse experimental requirements of all the participating investigators. The device will significantly enhance the physical research infrastructure at the Omaha VAMC. In doing so, the GX2 micro CT will allow our researchers to perform detailed and quantitative imaging studies in live animals, and will generate high quality datasets for quantitative analysis. This will advance current research at the Omaha VA and our shared goal of benefiting our Veterans? health.
