Medical imaging of biomaterials and small animals
The platform offers its expertise to researchers for the selection of the most appropriate small animal imaging method for a given project, as well as a service for developing the associated imaging procedures.
Choice of the most appropriate imaging method (MRI, CT/CT, ultrasound, fluorescence/luminescence, positron emission tomography);
Development of image acquisition protocols appropriate to each type of imaging and experimental procedures;
Standardized experimental protocols, approved by the Laval University animal facilities service;
Housing animals for longitudinal protocols;
Service for the preparation of contrast agents, cell labeling, intravenous injection in-situ (cannulation and injection)
Support for analysis and interpretation of results;
Assistance in writing manuscripts.
The development of more specific imaging protocols can be carried out on request.
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All procedures are performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) . Each project carried out within the platform must be approved beforehand by the ethics committee in animal experimentation of the research center of the CHU de Québec.
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Users must mention, in their publications, the use of the services of the platform in the acknowledgments. The name of each member of the platform substantially involved in a project (excluding routine experiments), must appear as co-author in scientific publications.
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Tariff 1 : Academic Université Laval $52/h-research professional + $125/h equipment (MRI, CT, PET)
Rate 2: Academic outside Laval University $52/h-research professional + $200/h equipment (MRI, CT, PET)
Rate 3: Industrial/Institutional non-academic $150/h-research professional + $325/h equipment (MRI, CT, PET)
The development of each new procedure includes up to 3 hours of meeting and preparation time (not billed).
A quote is then developed and submitted to the client, detailing an amount per animal or per image acquisition procedure.
A preliminary experiment could be necessary, because it would allow to better determine the needs or the possibilities of the apparatus according to a precise request.
Contact:
Small animal imaging platform,
CHU de Québec Research Center (CHUL), 2705 boulevard Laurier, Québec (Qc), G1V 4G2
Phone. (418) 525-4444, extension 47115 (Théophraste Lescot), or 42366 (Marc-André Fortin);
Equipment
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Model : Aspect, M2
Description : Medical imaging technique for obtaining 2D or 3D views of the inside of the body in a non-invasive way.
Characteristic : Magnetic field: 1 Tesla (clinical magnetic field); measurements in weighting T1, T2, diffusion; antennae for mice (body, head) and for samples (culture plates, tube boxes, etc.)
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Statue : Small animal imaging platform - CHU de Québec Research Center (Management: Groupe Fortin)
X-ray computed tomography (CT / CT-X)
Model : General Electric, eXplore Locus 80
Description : Medical imaging technique based on the absorption of X-rays by the tissues to obtain a three-dimensional image of anatomical structures.
Characteristic : Energies 40 – 80 keV; resolutions down to 22 microns. Density image reconstruction software.
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Statue : Small animal imaging platform - CHU de Québec Research Center (Management: Groupe Fortin)
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Model : Imaging research and Technology IR&T, LabPet
Description : Medical imaging technique to obtain a 3D image of the presence of isotope (Beta decay)
Feature : Sub-mm resolution; entire mouse body; static and dynamic measurements
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Statue : Small animal imaging platform - CHU de Québec Research Center (Management: Groupe Fortin)
Medical image visualization and analysis software
Model : InVicro, VivoQuant (2017)
Description : Medical image visualization and analysis software
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Statue : Small animal imaging platform - CHU de Québec Research Center (Management: Groupe Fortin)
Confocal microscope (Confocal microscopy - CLSM)
Model : Carl Zeiss, LSM800 Axio Observer 7 (2018)
Description : Fluorescence image of many specimens such as opaque samples, gels and hydrogels and tissues
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Statue : Biomaterials characterization platform - CHU de Québec Research Center
Optical coherence tomography ( Optical Coherence Tomography - OCT)
Model : ThorLabs, Telesto (2002)
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Statue : Biomaterials characterization platform - CHU de Québec Research Center