The surgical facility itself is contiguous with the UofL Research Resources Center and consists of two spacious 650 square foot operation rooms with a large viewing window. A zoom camera resides within the handle of surgical light in each operating room. Two high-definition, 45-inch flat screen monitors with recording capabilities are housed within the surgical suites, providing the ability to remotely observe surgical procedures in conference and lecture rooms within the CII, and provide internet broadcasting capabilities for intercontinental teleconferencing and easy viewing of physiological data during surgical procedures.
Leading-edge anesthesia, surgical, and monitoring equipment offers rapid and accurate data acquisition. A fully equipped instrument and equipment processing area with steam and ethylene oxide sterilization adjoins the surgical suites, along with a gas plasma sterilization area. The facility has the most advanced imaging technologies currently available, including a 3D ultrasound with live color imaging and an open, multi-angular digital fluoroscope for angiography techniques currently only performed in human patients.
Sterile surgical supply rooms, pathology, tissue-handling facilities, and a full-service diagnostic laboratory provide additional support necessary for research and clinical trials. This, in addition to the expertise provided by highly qualified professionals from medical, engineering, and veterinary disciplines, allows for comprehensive research and data collection capabilities.
The RRF continually seeks to provide unparalleled quality of laboratory animal care, thereby minimizing the potential for animal distress and its negative impact on research data. The CII team strives to complete pre-clinical trials in the most appropriate animal models in an expedient and responsible manner prior to testing in humans. Ultimately, this will have a profound impact on the current treatments and quality of life for human cardiac patients.
In December 2009, the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute completed construction on a translational research cleanroom. The purpose-built room has a highly controlled sterile filtered airflow designed to minimize dust and contamination potential and aid in complete cleaning of the space from ceiling to floor. The CII cleanroom suite is maintained under the current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations of the FDA and provides researchers and clinicians with a facility to produce regulated products for clinical use. The cleanroom suite affords the opportunity to translate both cell and bio-hybrid (cells combined materials) therapies from the research being conducted at the CII into clinical practices.
Other state-of-the-art technologies include:
Siemens Skyra 3T MRI
GE INNOVA Fluoroscopy Suite
Phillips 3D Ultrasound
Vevo 2100 (high frequency ultrasound)
Volcano Intravascular Ultrasound
CAD/CAM Micromilling equipment
COBE 2991 Cell processing system
BioRad and Rotor-Gene Thermocyclers
NiKon, Olympus, and Zeiss fluorescence/brightfield microscopes
Olympus FV1000-MPE Confocal/Multi photon microscope
JEOL Scanning Electron Microscope
Sonosite 2D Ultrasound
Moor Laser Doppler Imager (LDPI)
Cardiopulmonary Bypass Support
DSI physiological monitoring & data collection
Telemetry (small and large animal)
PV Loop Systems (Millar)
Virtis Lyophilizer
Leica Microtome
Flexcell Tissue Culture System
BioPrinting System (NScrypt)
Instron Dynamic Testing System
Nucleocounter
Cellometer
Roland 4-axis Mill
Fluorescence Activated Cell Scanner (FACS) BD
FACSCalibur and BD FACSAria
Polycom Videoconference System (portable)