Funding a vital scanner that will help researchers discover new heart disease treatments

Funds towards the purchase of a rodent dedicated Vevo 3100 Imaging System

Bristol researchers will use the Vevo 3100 to continue their ground-breaking work. The Translational Biomedical Research Centre (TBRC) at Bristol is a state-of-the-art facility. It helps researchers to take their studies from preclinical stages – using zebrafish and rodents – through the research pipeline towards clinical trials in humans. The Centre provides high quality scanning technology at all stages of this process. It supports many BHF-funded researchers in their vital studies to find new ways to prevent, treat and cure heart and circulatory diseases. A key piece of equipment at the TBRC is an ultrasound scanner for small rodents. The BHF are matching funding from the University of Bristol to replace and upgrade the previous scanner. The new scanner will provide the researchers with precise analysis of small anatomical structures. With it, they will be able to accurately measure how the heart muscle is working - known as echocardiography - blood flow around the heart, and the health of blood vessels. By providing funds to replace the scanner promptly, it will ensure that there is no delay to the vital research into heart disease taking place in Bristol.