Small Animal
Imaging Center Nears Completion
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Delivery of a small
animal MRI scanner |
Case's status as a leading biomedical
imaging center will be further enhanced in the coming months
as the Small Animal Imaging Research Center nears completion.
The center, which is a joint effort between Case and University
Hospitals of Cleveland, will offer Cleveland-area researchers
and companies a fantastic new tool with which to perform
their research.
The center will contain two new high-field
MRI, micro-CT, micro-PET, micro-SPECT, and bioluminescence
equipment for small animal imaging, and a high-field whole
body human MRI, housed in 9000 square feet of former storage
space in the basement under University Hospitals. In addition
to the imaging systems, the facility also includes several
animal handling / surgical suites for a variety of imaging
procedures as well as a radiopharmaceutical lab for handling
radioactive materials in support of the nuclear medicine
imaging modalities. The hot lab has a direct, sealed connection
to the main hospital's cyclotron facility for fast and
safe delivery of radioactive materials. According to Chris
Flask, Scientific Director for the center (Ph.D. Case BME
2004), the center "puts Case on the map with a lot
of very big institutions right away."
Applications for the new imaging center
are numerous and diverse. Immediate applications include
investigating drug delivery systems and biodistribution,
functional brain imaging, drug development, and cancer
treatment development. According to Dr. Flask, the center
should be able to attract interest both from researchers
nearby and from companies looking for a good, economical
way to image the results of their development.
In addition to providing new imaging resources
to researchers, the center will also immediately attract
at least a half dozen new faculty members to Case and UH,
with more faculty and staff to come as the center gains
popularity.
More updates and information will be available
soon after the center is completed September.
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