OEC 9800 C-ARM - DIGITAL MOBILE IMAGING SYSTEM

Columbia University Health Sciences, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): [unreadable] We are requesting funds to purchase a portable C-arm fluoroscope with "road-mapping" capabilities. This device will allow us to continue to refine our primate stroke model, which is currently being utilized by several investigators to study the pathophysiology of acute cerebral ischemia and subsequent recovery. Specifically, this device will allow us to create strokes via intravascular release of thromboembolic materials of varying stability to produce a variety of reproducible and highly relevant cerebral cortical injuries. Current techniques require transorbital access and placement of temporary vessel occluders/clips. While relevant for the study of certain human strokes, these techniques have several shortcomings. First, they require removal of the globe. This results in a blind eye. While not a major concern in short term studies focusing on reductions in infarct volume and improvements in gross motor function, the blindness is a major concern for prolonged survival experiments aimed at mapping native and therapeutically manipulated recovery of movements learned with intact vision. In addition, intravascular approaches are superior in modeling intravascular inflammation, fibrin deposition and endogenous/exogenous fibrinolysis, but this advantage is predicated on keeping endothelial trauma to a minimum. This is only possible with exquisitely high-resolution imaging that allows skilled interventionalists to float flow-directed microcatheters into the cerebral circulation. Finally, intravascular techniques allow us the opportunity to study with advanced MR imaging the early spectroscopic and hemodynamic events associated with both vessel occlusion and therapeutic restoration of flow. In summary, high quality fluoroscopy, as provided by the OEC 9800 Digital Mobile Imaging System, is the most important means by which we can continue to refine the primate stroke model. [unreadable] [unreadable]