Facilities and Resources

Sonalleve 256 element MR compatible source

 

Vantage 128 programmable ultrasound machine for the development of advanced imaging methodologies of histotripsy-induced bubble activity

Three-axis motorized positioning system for calibrating acoustic sources with both needle hydrophones and fiber optic source (depicted)

Additional Specifications

The BADER Laboratory occupies 400 square in the UChicago Medical Center, and is led by Dr. Kenneth Bader. The BADER Laboratory is equipped with a Vantage research scanner (Verasonics, Inc., Kirkland, WA, USA) capable of transmitting arbitrary waveforms simultaneously on 128 channels. The Vantage scanner is also capable of receiving on 128 channels simultaneously. The scanner is capable of sending and receiving trigger pulses for synchronization with other equipment. The BADER Laboratory currently has an L11-4v linear array, 7E40 linear array, and L5 linear array to use with the Verasonics scanner, and other Philips HDI-5000 imaging style transducers are also capable with the scanner. In addition to the Verasonics, the BADER Laboratory has a portable, handheld ultrasound scanner (SonoSite 180 Plus) equipped with a C60 curved array. The BADER Laboratory facilities also house a computer-controller three-axis ultrasound calibration system (Velmex, INC., Bloomfield, NY, USA), a 2 channel PicoScope (1 GS/s sample rate at 8 bit resolution, 200 MHz bandwidth, 512 million buffer memory), a 2 channel Textronix oscilloscope (2.5 GS/s, 8 bit resolution, 100 MHz bandwidth), an arbitrary wave function generator (Agilent 333521A), two 1-MHz focused ultrasound therapy sources (Imasonic, Voray sur l’Ognon, France and custom built and designed), MR compatible ultrasound therapy sources (4-MHz focused source, 4-MHz transurethral source, 1.3 MHz Sonellave V2, Philips), plus other ultrasound transducer sources and preamplifiers (Olympus Corporation, Walthham, MA, USA), and a radio frequency analyzer (AIM 4170D, Array Solutions, Sunnyvale, TX, USA).  In addition, the BADER Laboratory is equipped with standard scientific utilities, including a deionized water source, vacuum and air lines, a fume hood, chemical cabinets, refrigeration facilities (0, –20, and –80°C), calibrated measuring balances, nanopure water sources, and hot plates with magnetic stirrers.

Dedicated computers are available within the BADER Laboratory to data collection and analysis. A Dell Precision Tower 5810 XL with Intel Xeon 12-core 2.5 GHz Turbo, 16 GB RAM, 256 GD SSD, 1 TB 7,200 RPM running Windows 7 Ultimate, and a Nvidia Quadro K620 graphics card. This computer is used to control the Verasonics research platform, processing radiofrequency data, and controlling the Velmex ultrasound calibration facility using MATLAB routines via USB interface with a Picoscope 5224a 1 GHz oscilloscope. Dr. Bader’s office is equipped with a Macintosh 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5 iMAC, a Macintosh Macbook Pro (2.5 GHz Intel Core i5), and an HP LaserJet M277 printer. The iMAC has full SKYPE capabilities (webcam and audio) to facilitate monthly SKYPE meetings with collaborators.

The office of Dr. Bader is within the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center (MRIRC), within Mitchell Hospital in the at the University of Chicago Medical Campus.  Administrative support for Dr. Bader is located in the Department of Radiology.