The Cardiovascular theme of the NIHR Leicester BRC is equipped with state-of-the-art imaging facilities including:
- A newly built £3.1M MRI Research facility incorporating a 3T MRI scanner (Siemens Vida) jointly funded by the British Heart Foundation and UHL, opened in July 2021.
The new scanner has multinuclear capability for phosphorous imaging, enabling cardiac and skeletal muscle energetic (PCr/ATP) analysis. An MRI-compatible ergometer allows exercise stress studies and assessment of energetics and function during physiological stress.
A separate high performance computer, linked to a collaborator’s cloud post-processing software, reconstructs images using AI, allowing fully quantitative myocardial imaging and high-temporal resolution cine imaging.
The new build also houses 2 analysis rooms for post-processing with a range of dedicated software including Circle cvi42; Medis QMass, Java Image Manipulation and QFat
- Access to additional 3T & 1.5T MRI clinical scanners (Siemens Skyra & Avanto)
- A 128 dual source CT scanner (Siemens Definition Flash), due to be upgraded in 2023, and 64 slice CT scanner (Siemens Definition AS)
- Two SPECT scanners with ECG gating for cardiac scanning and a PET/CT scanner.
- A research 2-D/3-D transthoracic ultrasound system (Philips IE33) with integrated carotid/vascular scanning, state-of-the-art stress, strain and speckle tracking software. Scan analysis is available on-line (QLAB software) and off-line within the accompanying Xcelera reporting system.
- Access to further advanced imaging facilities, including Electron Microscopy is available through our links with Leicester Imaging Technologies (LITE)