Noninvasive in vivo ultrasound imaging is performed on a FUJIFILM VisualSonics Vevo 770® High-Resolution Imaging System. The Vevo 770® system operates in the very-high-frequency range (center frequencies of 25-55 MHz), with maximum frame rates in 2D up to 200 fps (frames per second). The system can be operated on B-Mode (2D) for anatomical visualization and quantification, on M-Mode for single line acquisition allowing for high-temporal (1000 fps) resolution of cardiovascular function, on Power Doppler for detection and quantification of blood flow in small vessels, as well as on 3D imaging mode for quantification of volume and vascularity within a defined anatomical structure. The RMV (real-time microvisualization) transducers can be used as a hand-held probe for rapid screening procedures or be attached to the Integrated Rail System III. The integrated Rail System III helps position an anesthetized mouse in a stable position in relation to the transducer so that a correct image plane can be maintained during an imaging session while the animal’s ECG, heart rate, and core body temperature can be monitored and maintained, and image-guided injection procedures, e.g. injection of cells into the left ventricle of an adult mouse, can then be performed.
The Vevo 770® system is a state-of-the-art high-resolution micro-ultrasound imaging system designed especially for small animal imaging research, enabling the visualization and quantification of small animal anatomical targets, hemodynamics, and therapeutic interventions with resolution as low as 30 microns. The Vevo 770® system provides a fast, cost-effective method for visualizing disease in a wide range of small animal models of cancer.