In Vivo Services

Our high-resolution ultrasound system provides comprehensive, non-invasive evaluation of cardiac structure and function in small animal models. Combining B-mode, M-mode, and Doppler imaging, this approach enables detailed phenotyping and longitudinal monitoring of cardiovascular health and disease.

B-mode (2D imaging) offers real-time visualization of cardiac anatomy, allowing assessment of chamber dimensions, wall thickness, ventricular morphology, and overall cardiac structure.

M-mode imaging provides highly accurate measurements of cardiac motion throughout the cardiac cycle. It is commonly used to quantify:

• Left ventricular internal dimensions in systole and diastole
• Ventricular wall thickness
• Fractional shortening (FS)
• Cardiac remodeling associated with disease progression or therapeutic interventions

These measurements allow the evaluation of both physiological and pathological changes in cardiac function over time.

Combined with Doppler modalities, ultrasound also enables the assessment of:

• Left and right ventricular function
• Ejection and filling dynamics
• Cardiac output and stroke volume
• Systolic and diastolic performance
• Hemodynamic alterations associated with cardiovascular diseases

Key advantages include:

• Fully non-invasive examination
• Longitudinal follow-up of the same animal
• Real-time functional and structural assessment
• Early detection of cardiac abnormalities
• Reduced animal use through repeated measurements in individual animals

Our ultrasound platform also enables advanced cardiovascular phenotyping through Pulsed-Wave (PW) Doppler imaging, providing non-invasive assessment of blood flow dynamics in small animal models.

PW Doppler can be used to measure blood flow velocities across the major cardiac valves and vessels, including:

• Mitral valve flow (E and A waves) for the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function
• Aortic outflow for the assessment of cardiac output and systolic performance
• Pulmonary artery flow to evaluate right ventricular function and pulmonary hemodynamics
• Tricuspid valve flow for right heart functional assessment
• Measurement of heart rate, stroke volume, and hemodynamic parameters

This technique allows real-time characterization of cardiac physiology and the detection of functional alterations associated with cardiovascular disease, genetic modifications, or therapeutic interventions.

Key advantages include:

• Non-invasive and repeatable examinations
• Longitudinal monitoring in the same animal
• Quantitative assessment of cardiac function
• Early detection of cardiovascular abnormalities
• Reduction in experimental variability through serial measurements

Combined with B-mode imaging, Color Doppler, and ultrasound-guided procedures, PW Doppler provides a comprehensive platform for cardiovascular research, enabling detailed evaluation of both cardiac structure and function while minimizing animal stress and improving study efficiency.

Our laboratory offers expertise in cardiac ultrasound imaging and Doppler analysis, supporting preclinical studies ranging from basic cardiovascular phenotyping to therapeutic efficacy assessment.

Speckle-traking imaging is non-Doppler-based technique used to detect myocardial wall motion (velocity, displacement) and myocardial deformation (strain and strain rate).
With the use of VevoStrain software, a value can be obtained which quantifies the velocity, the displacement, the strain and strain rate that is experienced by the selected area of myocardium. It allows for the comparison of one or several points along the left ventricule in parasternal long or short axis.

VevoVasc Analysis Software  is a vascular strain analysis package that utilizes advanced speckle tracking algorithms on high-resolution ultrasound data to quantify vascular pathologies non-invasively and in vivo.

The software includes both qualitative and quantitative tools to study various vascular disease models.

1. Vessel Wall Tracking.
2. Vessel Stiffness Quantification Using Pulse Propagation Velocity.
3. Vessel Wall Analysis and Micro-Anatomy.

Ultrasound is a powerful, non-invasive imaging tool for longitudinal tumor monitoring. High-frequency ultrasound allows the visualization and measurement of tumors in real time, making it possible to track tumor growth, assess treatment responses, and monitor disease progression without the need for repeated invasive procedures.

Key advantages of ultrasound-based tumor monitoring include:

• Non-invasive and repeatable imaging of the same animal over time
• Real-time assessment of tumor volume and growth kinetics
• Reduced need for euthanasia at intermediate time points
• Early detection of tumor establishment and progression
• Monitoring of treatment efficacy in preclinical studies
• Improved animal welfare through longitudinal follow-up of individual animals

By allowing repeated measurements in the same animal, ultrasound imaging reduces inter-animal variability and can decrease the number of animals required for studies, in accordance with the principles of the 3Rs. Combined with ultrasound-guided injections, it provides a comprehensive platform for both the establishment and follow-up of preclinical tumor models.

Ultrasound-guided injection is an advanced technique that enables the precise delivery of drugs, tumor cells, and other biological agents directly into targeted organs or tissues in both fetal and adult animals.

By providing real-time imaging guidance, this approach allows highly accurate injections without the need for invasive surgical procedures. The technique can be applied to a wide range of organs and tissues, making it a versatile and powerful tool for biomedical research.

Compared with conventional surgery, ultrasound-guided injections offer several key advantages:

• Highly precise targeting of organs and tissues
• Minimally invasive procedures without surgical intervention
• Reduced procedure and recovery times
• Less pain and stress for animals
• Improved animal welfare through refined experimental practices
• Enhanced reproducibility and reliability of experimental outcomes

In addition, the use of ultrasound-guided injections can significantly reduce the severity classification of animal procedures under experimental animal legislation. This is a major benefit in terms of animal welfare and compliance with Swiss regulations on animal experimentation, while supporting the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement).

Embryo and Fetal Imaging In Utero

High-frequency ultrasound enables the visualization and monitoring of embryos and fetuses throughout gestation without the need for surgical intervention.

Longitudinal imaging of the same pregnancy provides valuable insights into developmental processes while minimizing animal use and experimental variability.

Abdominal Ultrasound Imaging

• Ultrasound offers real-time visualization of abdominal organs and can be used for both phenotyping and disease monitoring. Applications include the assessment of:
• Liver morphology and pathology
• Spleen size and structure
• Gastrointestinal organs
• Pancreatic and abdominal masses
• Ascites and other abdominal abnormalities

This non-invasive approach is particularly useful for longitudinal studies investigating disease progression and therapeutic responses.

Renal Ultrasound Imaging

Kidney imaging allows detailed evaluation of renal anatomy and pathology in vivo. Ultrasound can be used to monitor:

• Kidney size and morphology
• Structural changes associated with kidney disease
• Renal blood flow when combined with Doppler imaging

Repeated examinations can be performed in the same animal over time, facilitating the study of disease evolution and treatment efficacy while reducing the number of animals required.

Assessment of blood pressure is a key component of cardiovascular phenotyping and therapeutic evaluation. Our platform provides non-invasive tail-cuff measurements, direct intra-arterial blood pressure monitoring, and telemetry-based recordings, allowing investigators to select the most appropriate methodology according to their scientific objectives and required level of precision.

Electrocardiography enables the evaluation of cardiac electrical activity, rhythm, and conduction. We offer both non-invasive ECG recordings under anesthesia and telemetric ECG monitoring in conscious freely moving animals, allowing short-term assessments as well as continuous longitudinal investigations.

Telemetry provides continuous real-time monitoring of physiological parameters in conscious, unrestrained animals. This technology enables the collection of high-quality cardiovascular and physiological data under near-physiological conditions, making it particularly valuable for disease characterization, pharmacological studies, and safety assessments.