A system for non-invasive preclinical ultrasound imaging

Description

For the purchase of a system for non-invasive preclinical ultrasound imaging.  A single system is to be purchased that will permit visualisation of all of the following preclinical models:
•	Mouse embryos and zebrafish at resolutions down to 30 µm using an ultra-high frequency transducer (up to 71 MHz).
•	Mouse hearts and the vasculature in genetic and drug-induced models of disease at 30 µm resolution using a transducer of 30-40 MHz with a frame rate capable of  imaging heart rates of up to 750 beats per minute. ECG-gating is also required for 3D reconstruction of the heart.  
•	Rat hearts and the vasculature in genetic and drug-induced models of disease (as detailed above for mice) using a transducer of ~29 MHz.
•	Mouse or rat brains (requiring a lower frequency transducer of ~22 MHz).
Additional capability is required for upgrading for imaging of pig hearts and the vasculature (requires low frequency transducers of 4-10 MHz) and for photoacoustic imaging.
The system must have the following provision:
•	Integrated physiology traces for small animals, including display of ECG, respiration waveform, and body temperature.  
•	Capability for capturing B-mode and M-mode images, and for analysis of the images to provide data on cardiac and vascular function and dimensions in the above preclinical models (including strain and speckle-tracking).
•	Capability for Power Doppler, Pulsed-Wave Doppler, Pulsed-Wave tissue Doppler and colour Doppler for assessment of blood flow.
•	Capability for contrast imaging.
The University has published this VEAT notice and intends to award a contract to FUJIFILM Visualsonics Inc. following the expiry of 10 full calendar days after the expiry of this notice.