CTSC:MGHresources

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The MGH-NMR Program has clinical and research facilities at the MGH main campus and at MGH-East in Charlestown.

The MGH operates a large GCRC supported by NIH RR001066 that is sited at the Main campus. The MIT GCRC merged with the MGH GCRC and together with the Biomedical Imaging Core facility sited at MGH-East in Charlestown provides critical clinical research support to all these imaging facilities.

The main campus of the MGH is located in Boston, 15 minutes from the MGH-NMR Center in Charlestown, with frequent shuttle transportation provided between the two campuses for both researchers and ambulatory patients. It is the site of numerous research resources, including imagers, laboratories and the MGH medical library.

MGH Main Campus

MR Imaging Facilities

1.5 T MR Systems on Ellison II

These are two General Electric (Waukesha, WI) LX Excite platform 1.5 T whole-body MRI with all the necessary hardware and software (version 8.3) to perform basic and clinical research including CINE, MR angiography and spectroscopy.

1.5 T MR Trailer System on Founders I

This system is available for basic clinical research and clinical studies. It is a Siemens (Erlangen, Germany) Sonata 1.5 T 60 cm whole-body MRIs equipped with hardware and software that perform echo planar, CINE, MR angiography, diffusion and perfusion studies andspectroscopy for state of the art neuro and cardiac clinical evaluation. Gradient strengths are 40 mT/m, slew rates are 200 T/m/s, and the systems offer routine second order shimming.

1.5 T MR System in Yawkey Outpatient Center

This system is available for basic clinical research and clinical studies. It is a state-of-the-art 1.5T Siemens Avanto 1.5 T system with 32 RF channel capabilities. It is a 60 cm whole-body MRIs equipped with hardware and software that perform echo planar, CINE, MR angiography, diffusion and perfusion studies and spectroscopy for state of the art neuro and cardiac clinical evaluation. Gradient strengths are 45 mT/m, slew rates are 200 T/m/s, and the systems offer routine second order shimming.

3 T MR System in Yawkey Outpatient Center

This is a 3T Siemens Trio 60 cm (patient tube ID) whole-body MRI with EPI, second order shimming, CINE, MR angiography, diffusion, perfusion, and spectroscopy capabilities for both neuro and body applications. This system uses the same gradients as the 1.5 T Sonata (40 mT/m strength, 200T/m/s slew rate). The system is equipped with 8 RF channel receivers accommodating up to 8 element array coils. The system incorportates multinuclear spectroscopy capability.

1.5 T Cardiac Interventional MRI on Bulfinch I

This is a General Electric 1.5 T whole-body LX Signa CNV MRI specifically intended for development of MR techniques for interventional cardiology.

PET Imaging Facilities

The PET facilities occupy approximately 10,000 square feet on the main campus of the Massachusetts General Hospital with laboratories located in several buildings to allow access for both clinical research and basic research.

The Research PET Imaging Laboratory

The PET Imaging facility consists of research and clinical PET imaging areas, ancillary data collection facilities and data processing hardware and software. In the research PET area (Edwards Research Building) there are two PET devices; 1) A commercial primate PET device, primate microPET, P4, Concord Microsystems, Inc. This PET scanner utilizes unique Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) detector technology, and includes a computer controlled bed, a laser alignment system, a dual processor computer, a rotating source holder for attenuation correction measurements, data acquisition electronics and software for data acquisition, correction, image reconstruction, image display and basic image analysis. The animal port of the system is 22 cm. It has 4 rings of detector blocks enabling volumetric data acquisition in 8 cm long object. Resolution at the center of the field of view is 1.85 mm and the system sensitivity is 650cps/μCi. 2) A super high-resolution rodent PET device is located next to the primate PET. The resolution of this device is 1.16 mm at the center, and it is the best resolution of the PET devices in the world at this moment. It is a single ring device, slice thickness is 1.3 mm and 3D-imaging data can be acquired using a computer controlled imaging table. In addition, another super high-resolution rodent PET scanner is under final test measurements. The camera suite is equipped with a dose calibrator, Na(Tl) well counter and counting electronics.

Clinical PET Facility

The clinical PET imaging laboratory is located in the White Building. In the clinical area there are three commercial PET scanners. One GE PC 4096 PE tomograph (6 mm resolution, 15 planes) is located in a 1400 sq ft suite in White 2 and consists of an imaging room, a blood counting/dispensing area and a control room/reading room. One Siemens PET system is in the similar room in White 2 and one is outside in a van. Each of the camera suites is equipped with a dose calibrator, Na(Tl) well counter and counting electronics.

PET Cyclotron/Radiochemistry Facility

The MGH cyclotron consists of a Scanditronix MC 17F Cyclotron providing 17.5 MeV protons and 8.5 MeV deuterons at 50 μA beam current. Eight automated targets and chemical precursor processing systems routinely provide the following isotopes: 11C, 13N, 15O, and 18F. The cyclotron-Radiochemistry Lab is located in approximately 2200 sq ft in the Edwards Research Building in the main MGH campus. It consists of a cyclotron vault, a high radioactivity handling lab with three hot cells, a chemistry/quality control laboratory, electronics area and a maintenance shop. Major equipment includes two robotic systems located in the HOT Cells for automated radiochemical syntheses, two analytical HPLC’s, a production HPLC, a GC/mass spectrometer, four dose calibrators, radiation monitoring equipment and various other analytical equipments. In addition to main laboratories, there are three additional chemistry laboratories dedicated to PET (total 800 sq ft) located in the Edwards Building.

Physics Research Laboratory

The MGH-PET instrumentation effort is housed in approximately 600 sq ft in the Edwards Research Building Basement. It consists of an electronics shop, imaging and office area.

Computer Facilities in the Research PET Imaging Facility: Primate PET device: PC Xeon dual processor; memory of 250 gigabytes and for additional data storage a Raid system with 1.2 Terabyte memory. The rodent PET is operated by a Windows 98 based PC with 1.5 Gbytes hard disk. For the further data processing there is 7 additional PCs, which are ethernet connected and have local Zip and CD drives.

PC Pentium 3; OS: Windows 2000 server; Memory: 80 gigabytes PC Pentium 4; OS: Windows 2000 professional; Memory: 60 gigabytes PC Pentium 3; OS: Windows 98 second edition; Memory: 60 gigabytes PC Pentium 3; OS: Linux Red Hat 6.5; Memory: 40 gigabytes PC Pentium 3; OS: Linux Red Hat 6.5; Memory: 40 gigabytes PC Pentium 3; OS: Windows 98 second edition; Memory: 50 gigabytes PC Pentium 1; OS: Windows 98 second edition; Memory: 13 gigabytes Snap server; Memory: 300 gigabytes

MGH-PET Research Laboratory Office Area

The PET group has office space for scientists, fellows and staff (approximately 500 sq ft) located in the Bartlett Hall Building. The offices are equipped with personal computers, fax and copying machines. Ethernet service connects all computers to the hospital-wide network.

Radiology Computer-Aided Diagnostics Laboratory

The Radiology Computer Aided Diagnostics Laboratory (RAD CADx LAB), Directed by Gordon J. Harris, Ph.D., occupies a 900 sq. ft. suite including 5 offices and a central area at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The 3D Imaging Clinical Service occupies a 400 sq. ft. room in the hospital Radiology department to provide clinical image analysis capabilities and clinical research imaging analysis.

The RAD CADx LAB runs both UNIX and PC-WindowsNT based software applications. We are a Silicon Graphics Center of Excellence, with two Onyx2 supercomputers with Infinite Reality Graphics. In addition, the lab currently has twelve Pentium4 computers, a SUN Ultra 2 Workstation, six GE Advantage Windows and five Vital Images Vitrea 3D image processing workstations, as well as equipment from numerous other image processing workstation vendors (Tera Recon, Voxar, Mirada, R2, Materialize, etc). All computers are networked with an HP Laserwriter, a Codonix DICOM color/film printer, and connected to the internet via 100bT connections

Animal Facilities in the Main Campus

Animal housing is performed by the Center for Comparative Resources Department at Massachusetts General Hospital located in main campus in Edwards and Wellman Research Buildings. They (CCR) order, receive and house all animals. This is performed in compliance with USDA law and AALAS regulations. We have access to a small animal and large survival surgical suite. We also have access to a portable CT scanner, fluoroscopy and a large animal survival surgical suite. Surgical suites are equipped with anesthesia equipment for animal surgery, operating space, surgical operating scope, desktop autoclave, and an on-line blood gas analyzer.

HST/MGH/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Structural and Functional Imaging

This facility occupies ~40,000 square feet of space at MGH-East in Charlestown and contains the majority of the MGH NMR research effort. The Center is comprised of clinical, research, educational, and administration areas. A large expansion of office space as well as some clinical and experimental space was recently completed.

MRI Clinical Area

This is a General Electric 1.5 T excite platform “neuro-optimized, cardiac-optimized” (NVI/CVI) MRI, with gradient strength of 40 mT/m and slew rate of 150 T/m/s. In addition to routine clinical studies, software is available for MR angiography, cardiac analysis and pulse programming. A second physician console is available for data analysis and 3D display. The scanner is located in Bay 1. This area also contains patient waiting and changing rooms, support areas, the clinical business office, a data viewing area, and a physician office.

MRI Research Area

The research area contains both large-bore and small-bore MR systems.

Large-Bore MR Systems

Bay 1: Clinical area

The Clinical area contains the necessary patient care environment including waiting and changing rooms; support areas including business office, data viewing area, physician office, computer and magnet rooms. This area contains a 1.5 Tesla magnet (General Electric Corp, Waukesha WI) operating with the Excite platform. In addition to routine clinical studies, software is available for MR angiography, cardiac analysis and pulse programming. A second "physician" console is available for data analysis and 3D display.

Bay 2: 1.5 T laboratory

This is a 1.5 Tesla Siemens Avanto 32 channel “TIM” system which has been upgraded to accommodate 96 RF receive channels. It uses a 60 cm whole-body MRI capable of EPI functional imaging at a sustained rate of 15 images per second, CINE, MR angiography, diffusion and perfusion studies and spectroscopy. The system has a gradient strength of 45 mT/m and slew rate of 200 T/m/s, provides routine second order shimming and has 32 independent RF receive channels for phased array coils. Bay 2 also contains an assortment of audio, visual, and sensory stimuli equipment for fMRI studies including front and rear projection, audio stimulation, a subject response device and eye tracking setup. The stimulus equipment is setup to be run from either a PC, Macintosh or the users laptop computer. Stimuli can trigger or be triggered by the scanner. Bay 2 is also equipped with a Siemens Syngo workstation for 3D image processing, cardiac evaluation, and quantitative image analysis.

Bay 3: 3T laboratory

This is a 32 channel Siemens Tim Trio 3T whole-body scanner with an insertable 36 cm (gradient coil ID) head-only gradient. The whole body gradient system uses the same gradients as the 1.5 T Avanto (45 mT/m strength, 200T/m/s slew rate). The system is capable of EPI, second order shimming, CINE, MR angiography, diffusion and perfusion studies, and spectroscopy. The asymmetric head gradient coil is capable of 60 mT/m and slew rates in excess of 600 T/m/s at a duty cycle of 70%, allowing single shot 3mm resolution EPI with an echo spacing of 300 µs at a sustained rate of 14 images/second. Bay 3 also contains an assortment of audio, visual, and sensory stimuli equipment for fMRI studies including rear projection, audio stimulation, a subject response device and eyetracking setup.

Bay 4: 3T laboratory

This is a 3T Siemens TIM Trio 60 cm (RF coil ID) 32 channel whole-body MRI. With EPI, second order shimming, CINE, MR angiography, diffusion, perfusion, and spectroscopy capabilities for both neuro and body applications. This system uses the same gradients as the 1.5 T Avanto (45 mT/m strength, 200T/m/s slew rate). The system is equipped with the standard “TIM” 32 RF channel receivers accommodating up to 32 element array coils but has been specially upgraded to accommodated 128 RF channels. An upgrade to perform multinuclear imaging and spectroscopy has recently been installed. Bay 4 also contains an assortment of audio, visual, and sensory stimuli equipment for fMRI studies including rear projection, audio stimulation, a subject response device and eyetracking setup.

Bay 5: 7.0T laboratory

This is a unique ultrahigh field 7.0 T head-only MRI with 80mT/m head gradient set and an Avanto whole body gradient set and 32 RF receive channels. The 7.0 T 90 cm (magnet ID) whole-body magnet was built by Magnex Scientific (Oxford, UK), and Siemens provided the conventional MRI console, gradient drivers and patient table. Integration of these components and the design and construction of RF coils were performed by MGH and Siemens personnel. The 7T whole body magnet is augmented with a 80mT/m, 800 T/m/s slew rate head gradient set (Siemens) for echoplanar imaging and 2nd and 3rd order resistive shim coils under computer control. With its high performance gradient set, the system can provide better than 100-µm resolution. The system is shielded by a 460-ton steel shield.

Small-Bore MR Systems

9.4T laboratory

The 9.4T (400 Mhz proton frequency) 21cm dia. horizontal bore magnet (Magnex Scientific) utilizes a Bruker Advance console and is primarily for imaging and spectroscopy in small animals (rats and mice). Capabilities include high quality, high resolution anatomical and functional imaging, using a wide variety of contrast mechanisms(T1, T2, diffusion, perfusion), together with multi-shot 2D and 3D sequences, and single shot EPI. Multi-nuclear capabilities include high resolution localized spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging. This imager/spectrometer is intended primarily for rodent studies, and consists of a 9.4 T 21 cm diameter horizontal bore Magnex magnet, Magnex gradient coil set capable of 20 G/cm, and a Bruker BioSpin (Karlsruhe, Germany and Billerica, MA) BioSpec/Avance dual RF channel multinuclear console.

4.7 T laboratory

This imager/spectrometer comprises an Oxford 4.7 T 33 cm horizontal bore magnet, a 20 G/cm gradient/shim system and a state of the art Bruker Instruments BioSpec/Avance dual RF channel multinuclear console. A 40 G/cm gradient coil insert is available. A wide variety of multinuclear imaging and spectroscopy experiments may be performed.

14 T Spectroscopy/Microscopy Laboratory

A 14.1 T (600MHz) wide bore 8.9 cm actively screened vertical bore Magnex magnet and Bruker Avance spectrometer console has recently been installed. Capabilities include dual RF channels and deuterium lock; 5 mm and 10 mm direct and indirect observation high resolution (0.7 ppb) multinuclear multidimensional liquid state spectroscopy; high resolution (1.6 ppb) 1H and 13C MAS spectroscopy (including gradient spectroscopy); high power multinuclear cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) spectroscopy; an automated MAS sample changer; multinuclear microimaging and in vivo spectroscopy; actively screened gradients up to 100 g/cm; variable controlled temperature from –100 to +150 °C with stability approaching 0.1 °C.

MEG/EEG Laboratory

The principal sources of MEG (magnetoencephalogram) and EEG (electroencephalogram) are synchronous synaptic currents in the cerebral cortex. Under special circumstances, activity in the cerebellum as well as in certain subcortical structures can be detected as well. MEG and EEG provide an instantaneous view of neural activity and thus are complementary to fMRI. The combination of MEG/EEG with fMRI provides images of brain activity with high temporal as well as spatial resolution. Our facility is equipped with the Neuromag Vectorview system, comprising 306 MEG channels (2 planar gradiometers and a magnetometer at each of 102 sites) and 128 EEG channels, located within an Imedco magnetically shielded room, with a shielding factor of approximately 250,000 at 1Hz. Computer-controlled visual, auditory, and somatosensory stimulation systems as well as behavioral response monitoring are available in the laboratory. Our comprehensive suite of analysis software allows smooth integration of MEG, EEG, MRI, and fMRI data.

The Photon Migration Laboratory

Facilities consists of 5 separate lab facilities for 1) fiber optic and electronics fabrication and testing, 2) instrumentation system development and testing, 3) small animal studies, 4) an optical physics lab with a floating table, and 5) human subject testing. Instrumentation in the Photon Migration Lab includes:

• A multi-photon microscope, built in house, capable of 20 images per second with 200x200 pixels.
• A continuous-wave diffuse optical tomography (CW4) imaging system with 18 lasers and 16 detectors (manufactured by TechEn).
• Two additional CW-DOT imaging systems (CW5), each with 32 lasers and 32 detectors (also manufactured by TechEn).
• A time-resolved spectroscopy system with pulsed laser diodes at 4 wavelengths and 4 photon-counting photo-multiplier tubes (manufactured by PicoQuant).
• An ISS system with 16 laser diodes and 4 photomultiplier detectors (Imagent™ functional brain imaging).
• A time-domain diffuse optical tomography (TD-DOT) imaging system, with an imaged intensified CCD detector and optically multiplexed sources (constructed in-house with the support of Advanced Research Technologies http://www.art.ca ).
• A Mai:Tai Titanium:Saphire Laser (manufactured by SpectraPhysics)
• 2 Ocean Optics Spectrographs (model S2000)
• 4 Near-infrared spectroscopy systems (NIRS 1 and 2) (custom made by TechEn).
• 8-bit CCD camera (Cohu 4910) and various white light lamps, a mercury xenon lamp (200W, Oriel) with housing and SMA connector, a mercury lamp (200W, Oriel) for speckle microscopy.
• 8-bit CCD camera (DALSA) capable of 950 frames per second with 256x256 pixels.
• TE-cooled 12-bit CCD (Coolsnap fx, Roper Scientific).
• TE-cooled 16-bit CCD (Cascade, Roper Scientific).
• 50mW diode-pumped solid state laser (532 nm).

Other equipment includes:

• Electronics: 1 Gs/s digital oscilloscope (HP Infiniium), numerous data acquisition cards, network analyzer, 24-node Linux Beowulf system.
• Optical fiber equipment: single-mode, multi-mode and fiber bundles, optical fiber polishing equipment, and optomechanical fiber coupling.
• Optomechanical equipment: breadboards for mounting optical components, three-dimensional translation stages, optical mounting hardware, various diode lasers and white light sources and other optics, electro-optics and electronics equipment.
• Optics: various lenses, microscope objectives, mirrors, filters, beamsplitters, orthogonal galvanometer mounted mirrors (Cambridge, 6810).

MicroPET Laboratory

This lab consists of a Concorde MicroPET small bore PET scanner and is currently located on the MGH clinical campus (see above). Plans for a Martinos PET imaging center that will include this instrument as well has human PET scanners and cyclotron and radiochemistry facilities are underway.

Expansion Plans

Additional PET facilities – including a new cyclotron, HRRT head imaging camera, and PET/CT camera – are are being installed now in the Charlestown Navy Yard facility (building 149). This will add additional capacity to the above PET instrumentation. This is largely driven by the expanded clinical demands on the above systems, as well as the opportunity for synergy between PET and the existing MRI, MEG, and CT instruments that are already in the building.

Support Laboratories and Resources

Biochemistry Laboratory

This laboratory contains two fume hoods, a refrigerator/freezer, a –80°C low temperature freezer, a fire safe solvent cabinet, centrifuges, a vacuum line, a lyophilizer, a table top surgical microscope, ultrafiltration apparatus, deionized water supply and laboratory bench space.

Animal Surgery Laboratory

The Martinos Center has three areas dedicated to animal surgery and preparation for scanning Room 137 is equipped with 3 workbenches, 2 independent inhalation anesthesia systems capable of using Halothane or Isoflurane, floor-standing Zeiss operating microscope, table-top operating microscope, Radionics bipolar coagulator, Ivy Systems physiologic monitor capable of monitoring blood pressure, temperature, and heart dynamics. This unit also has a built in pulse oximeter, Instrumentation Lab blood gas analyzer, and 2 temperature controlled water blankets. Room 94T is equipped with 1 workbench, 1 inhalation anesthesia system capable of using Halothane or Isoflurane, floor standing Zeiss operating microscope, temperature controlled water blanket. Room 1067 is dedicated to large animal surgery and prep and is equipped with 1 workbench, an operating table, an inhalation anesthesia system capable of using Halothane or Isoflurane and a temperature controlled water blanket.

Behavioral Testing Laboratory

The behavioral testing suite, located on the second floor of Building 149, provides a quiet and controlled environment for neuropsychological testing, developing and piloting behavioral paradigms, and running pre- and post-scan experiments with children and adults. It consists of two testing rooms with one-way mirrors (rooms 2236, 2234), separated by a control room (room 2235), which may also serve as an observation station or additional testing space. Each of these rooms is equipped with a PC, a MAC and a button-press response box (with millisecond accuracy), identical to those used in the MR research bays thereby allowing for portability of the paradigms developed in the behavioral setting. Auditory stimuli may be presented via speakers in sound-field or over headphones. A digital audio tape recorder, a microphone, a touch-screen monitor, a video projector and a projection screen will also be available for stimulus presentation and/or recording subject responses. Transfer of experimental paradigms and data backup may be accomplished with removable media.

Mock Magnet

The purpose of the mock magnet is to acclimate normal and clinical populations (children and adults) to the MRI environment in preparation for participation in MRI studies. The mock scanner is modeled after the Siemens 3T Allegra system in structure and dimensions. Its parts include an original Siemens patient table, funnel and head coil. Transducers and recordings of the scanner noise from the Siemens 1.5T (Sonata) and 3T are used to simulate the vibrations and pulse sequence noises associated with scanning. Stimuli will be presented using headphones or a rear projection system, with the mirror mounted on the head coil (as found in Bays 2, 3 and 4), along with a button box for responding. Potential subjects who are anxious about participating in MRI studies are gradually desensitized to the confined space of an MRI magnet tunnel through a series of training steps. A feedback system to help train subjects to stay still when in the scanner is being developed. The mock scanner is located near the Behavioral Testing Suite and in close proximity to the GCRC Biomedical Imaging Core Facility and the 1.5T and 3T magnets.

Biomaterials Laboratory

This laboratory, physically integrated within the High Field Spectroscopy room, contains a Carver (Wabash, IN) 25 ton microprocessor controlled hydraulic press, a Spex Industries (Edison, NJ) cryogenic grinder, and a computer controlled Lindberg/Blue M (Watertown, WI) 1200 °C 3 inch tube furnace, which are used for preparation and analysis of biomaterial specimens and implants. A special MRI-compatible furnace, capable of 950 °C operation within the 4.7 T magnet, equipped with a quadrature birdcage RF coil, was engineered and fabricated in the Biomaterials Laboratory for in situ studies of high temperature materials processing.

Martinos Center Histological Analysis Lab

The laboratory is equipped with a Canon digital camera, camera stand and tripod for photographing of blockface images prior to sectioning. For tissue sectioning, we use a Leica 2000R microtome for cutting frozen sections. We have a histological staining area, immunocytochemical reagents, image analysis as well as stereology (MicroBrightField Bioscience, Inc.) equipment for quantitative analyses. Additional resources include a Nikon microscrope 80i (fluorescence and brightfield) (MVI, Inc, Avon MA) with motorized stage to complement the stereology software (MicroBrightField Bioscience, Inc.) and a Li-Cor Oydessy Infrared Imaging System (Licor Biosciences, Lincoln NE) in Brad Hyman˙s laboratory to digitize histological sections.

Electronics and Machine Shops

Instrumentation for design, construction and repair activities is distributed among three locations: (1) Bay 2/Bay 3/High Field Laboratory; (2) Bay 4/Bay 5/9.4 T Lab; and (3) Photon Migration Lab. The shops are equipped with tools for working with electronic circuitry, fiber optics and mechanical devices; equipment for fabrication of printed circuit boards; instrumentation for electronic testing and measurement of digital, analog, and RF circuitry (power supplies, voltmeters, R/L/C meter, RF power meter, oscilloscopes, gaussmeters, RF sweepers, an analog impedance meter, a digital impedance analyzer, and 5 HP RF network analyzers); and machine tools (drill presses, belt sander, grinder, band saw, 13 inch lathe, small milling machine). A stock of materials, hardware and electronic components is maintained. Machine tools are available to carry out complete computer-assisted design and fabrication of probes, animal carriers, gradient coils, etc. In addition to these capabilities, we have access to the MGH machine shop. Design and simulation tasks are supported within the Center with Windows 2000 based multiprocessor workstations running Remcom (State College, PA) BioPro 5.2 FDTD software for simulation of electromagnetic fields, Electronics Workbench Multisim 2001 (Toronto, Canada) for simulation of electrical networks, and IMSI TurboCad (Novato, CA) for mechanical design.

Computer Facilities

The Center’s IT infrastructure consists of over 200 Linux workstations and 150 Windows and Macintosh desktops on users desks owned by individual research groups. There are also a few Sun, SGI and HP workstations used at the center. There is a server farm of over 25 Linux servers handling central storage, email, web and other services. Overall storage capacity of the center exceeds 100 terabytes. There is also a 290 node computing cluster for batch analysis. 124 of the nodes are Dual Opterons (64 bit) and 18 of these nodes have 16 MB of RAM. The total CPU count is 450. The IT facilities are supported by a small IT staff of two full time PhD level network administrators and several additional full time professionals, including three full time programmers supporting in-house-developed software tools. Available commercial software includes AVS (Advanced Visual Systems, Waltham, MA), IDL (Research Systems), Mathematica (Wolfram Research, Champaign, IL), MATLAB (The MathWorks, Natick, MA) and MEDx (Sensor Systems, Sterling, VA) for general-purpose computation, simulation and image analysis; and XWIN-NMR (Bruker BioSpin), Origin (OriginLab Corp., Northampton, MA), Nuts (Acorn NMR, Livermore, CA) for analysis of NMR spectra and the Siemens IDEA development environment for pulse sequences and image reconstruction software (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). A substantial level of internal software development for image and data analysis is ongoing, using HTML, C, C++, Java, FORTRAN, Pascal, Perl and TCL/TK.

Education Area

This area contains a conference room, audio visual laboratory (equipped with computers, TV monitors, VCRs, carousels, teaching files and tapes), staff offices and general desk space for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty.

Administration Area The Center’s administration area is located on the second floor of Building 149 in area 2301. Facilities located here include fax machine, Xerox, standard and color laser printers, and faculty and staff mailboxes. This area contains faculty and secretarial office space and a conference room.

Description of the GCRC Biomedical Imaging Core Facility

The Biomedical Imaging Core is located on the 2nd floor of building 149 of the MGH Charlestown Navy Yard in approximately 1,500 sq.ft and is situated directly above the dedicated research MR scanners and close to the MEG/EEG imaging site. The space contains a patient reception/waiting area, 2 outpatient exam rooms, computing resources, laboratory/storage space and office space for the staff.

Patient reception/waiting area

Subject scheduling for use of the outpatient exam rooms, mock scanner and nursing support is done through the main GCRC. Research subjects use this waiting area whether they are scheduled for a visit to one of the exam rooms or one of the imaging facilities.

Outpatient Exam Rooms

The outpatient exam rooms support all clinical imaging studies that include complex cognitive, pharmacological and physiological challenges and monitoring both before and during imaging. Physical examinations, cognitive testing, insertion of intravenous lines, and other patient centered activities are carried out in the exam rooms. There are four semi-private (curtains can separate the patient recliners) exam areas in one large room and two private rooms with stimulus presentation capabilities that replicate what is in the imaging environment. The private exam rooms are sound-attenuated and equipped for performing physical exams. One of the private rooms is shielded and thus appropriate for conducting electrical and optical imaging studies.

The electrically shielded exam room is equipped for physiological monitoring, blood sampling, and drug infusions. The physiological monitoring modular system purchased for the exam room duplicates the system that is currently set up in the 1.5 T MRI suite. In the next year similar systems will be installed in the 3 T system in Bay 4 and for the MEG/EEG suite. The modular physiological monitoring system includes equipment to measure invasive and non-invasive blood pressure, heart rate, EKG, oxygen saturation, temperature, skin conductance, expired oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations and respiration rate. The outpatient exam room and Bay 4 MR suite are also equipped with medical grade air, O2 and CO2.

Clinical Laboratory/ Pharmacy Locker

The Core facility includes a small clinical laboratory for specimen preparation and temporary storage of specimens with centrifuges and 4o and –20 o C refrigerator/freezer space. Biomedical Imaging Core maintains code carts equipped with pediatric supplies adjacent to the GCRC dedicated space as well as at appropriate sites near each of the imaging systems that are supporting invasive studies. The Bioimaging Core also maintains a medication closet for investigators to store a supply of investigational drugs that can be dispensed on site. MGH Research Pharmacy provides logistical support for pharmacy services such as special formulations, drug procurement, storage, record keeping, study fees, inventory control, drug distribution, packaging and labeling, randomization and blinding. This ensures that clinical trials that have biomedical imaging as outcome measures are in compliance with federal regulations. The laboratory is outfitted with both clean and dirty areas for storage with separate wash facilities.

Offices

There are two offices that are shared by the GCRC Core staff, biostatistician, the software developers, and research nurses. Each office is equipped with a networked workstation. These offices are used for consultations with investigators.