LAMB request for Surgical Suite Upgrade

Veterans Health Administration, Decatur PA

Investigators

Abstract

Project Abstract This project will allow an upgrade to the surgical suite in the vivarium with a particular emphasis on the infectious containment capabilities. The upgraded infectious unit equipment will facilitate the performance of larger-scale, more complex experiments by allowing more than one user/surgeon to use the biocontainment unit at the same time, as well as decrease the risk of cross-contamination between labs using different infectious agents and decrease the risk of infection to the users. In addition, having a dedicated rodent anesthetic unit will shorten anesthetic duration, and heated surgical table will prevent intra-operative hypothermia, thereby greatly enhancing the quality of the surgeries and procedures and well-being of the animals being administered infectious agents. The equipment being proposed entails the purchase and installation of the following into the VMU infectious suite: - Two (2) Class II Type B2 (i.e., hard-ducted) 4 foot biosafety cabinets; - Rodent anesthetic system solely dedicated to the infectious suite; - Built-in heated surgical table; - Built-in autoclave.