The goal of the Preclinical Imaging Core is to provide non-invasive imaging approaches for visualizing pathological processes in animal models.

Our guidelines

  • If you wish to image or irradiate live animals, you must have a protocol or protocol amendment to this effect. The protocol/amendment must be approved by the ACVS animal care committee before experiments can begin. An SOP for MRI can be found here. An example amendment for VEVO can be found here.
  • If you wish to irradiate cells (e.g. in a petri dish), please fill out this form and email it to the PCIC team. The facility manager will work with you to schedule the irradiation, which will be performed by ACVS staff. Each petri dish should have an irradiation label, to avoid errors.
  • To obtain equipment training or to inquire about the MRI, please contact the PCIC team.
  • Inform the PCIC team of any issues and report any damages encountered during your imaging session. Do not attempt to repair or alter equipment in anyway unless you have been properly trained for this specific purpose.
  • When finished, users must clean up after themselves and put everything back in place.  Refill isoflurane machines and check if any charcoal-activated scavengers need to be replaced.
  • The facility is not responsible for data stored on PCI machines’ hard drives. Any images left on the computer hard-drives may be deleted without warning.