Services Core/facility: Yale CVRC Micro-CT Imaging Core

Imaging services

Zhen Zhuang, MD, MS

About the services

We offer a range of micro-CT imaging services and a small-animal pulse Doppler velocity system. We are always interested in developing new contrast agents, novel imaging techniques, and collaborations, and will attempt to accommodate any proposed project, large or small. Our core serves images and image processing applications to all users. Additionally, our staff can assist in the processing and analysis of all image modalities. 

Micro-CT imaging service

  1. Cerebral angiogram for arteriovenous malformation and aneurysm
  2. Cerebral angiogram for strokes, epilepsy, etc.
  3. Carotid angiogram for arterial remolding and restenosis
  4. Aortic angiogram for atherosclerosis and composition
  5. Pulmonary artery angiogram for remolding and pulmonary hypertension
  6. Chest micro-CT for lung transplantation, lung tumor, and emphysema, etc.
  7. Coronary angiogram for heart development, coronary stenosis, and occlusion
  8. Coronary venogram for heart development
  9. In vivo cardiac gating micro-CT for 4D cardiac structure and function
  10. Liver tumor metastasis 
  11. Hepatic artery angiogram & hepatic venogram
  12. Portal venogram for portal hypertension, vascular graft interposition, liver cirrhosis 
  13. Colonography
  14. Pancreatic tumor 
  15. IVC venogram for vascular graft follow-up
  16. Abdominal aortic angiogram for aneurysm development
  17. Hysterosalpingography
  18. Stem cell tracking
  19. Peripheral arteriogram for arteriogenesis in hindlimb ischemic model 
  20. Lymphography
  21. Skin graft viability

Available to Yale researchers only

Instrument menu

High-resolution SKYSCAN 1276 micro-CT scanner

Micro-CT scanner

The Bruker SKYSCAN 1276 is a high performance, stand-alone, fast, desktop in vivo and ex vivo micro-CT scanner with continuously variable magnification for scanning rodents and samples. This scanner has an unrivaled combination of high resolution, big image size, helical scanning and reconstruction, and low-dose imaging. The last feature allows multiple scans for longitudinal preclinical studies without the risk of unwanted radiation-induced side effects.

It features a flexible spatial resolution (3.8-100 μm), a variable length of scan (up to 230 mm), physiological control, cardiac/respiratory gating capacity, vascular networks capabilities, and integrated software.

Small-animal pulse Doppler velocity

Pulse Doppler transceiver and signal digitizer

A pulsed Doppler ultrasound system designed to measure real-time blood flow in mice and rats. Applications include:

  1. Coronary flow reserve
  2. Arterial stiffness
  3. Pressure overload (transverse aortic constriction mode)
  4. Peripheral artery disease