In 2010, the National Institutes of Health awarded the HBIC a $2.88 million High End Instrumentation grant to purchase a 3 Tesla Siemens Skyra Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system. The new MRI system scans the full body, expanding the center's previous focus on the brain to include research on the heart, spine, kidneys, upper and lower extremities and other parts of the body. The MRI system features technology that produces higher quality data and high resolution structural and functional MRI, MR spectroscopy, and diffusion and perfusion imaging.

The preclinical MR scanner is a multipurpose system for high-resolution MR spectroscopy and imaging of animals. HBIC has a 9.4 Tesla (400Mhz) superconducting magnet equipped with a state-of-the-art Bruker AVANCE NEO Spectrometer which was funded by a $1.5 million NIH High End Instrumentation grant.

HBIC is the only facility in the world with capabilities for whole-cortex adult magnetoencephalography (cMEG) and high-density fetal MEG. The center has a 151-channel, whole-head adult unit with capabilities for simultaneous recording of 156 channels of EEG. In a separate magnetically shielded room, an 83 channel high-density custom-designed unit can be used for fetal MEG and MCG studies or for cardiac and gastrointestinal physiology.

The Center's research infrastructure also includes an Ultrasound scanner (GE Logiq P5). This 2-D ultrasound with the 3.5C Thin Wide Band Convex Probe is capable of imaging the fetus, the fetal heart and recording the location (depth) and orientation of the fetal heart and head. It allows the acquisition and real time transmission of the ultrasound images to the ultrasound acquisition computer. HBIC also recently acquired an High Density Electroencephalography system (HD EEG). The EGI GES 400 series includes the capability for 128 channel infant EEG or 256 channel adult EEG.

Hardware

Shared MacPro, PC, Linux, Unix, and Sun SunBlade 1000, workstations are available for data analysis and interpretation. Additionally, Siemens Syngo.via server and MMWP workstation are available for offline analysis and exploration of MR imaging data.

All computers in the Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center (HBIC) are connected to the campus 10 Gigabit Ethernet core network and network file storage. Networked file servers provide constant hardware backups of stored data through mirrored storage systems and daily tape backups are also performed. Weekly tape backups are stored off site for additional protection of research data. The network is managed by KUMC's Information Technology who provides installation, training, and maintenance on all information systems. The local area network is connected to a switched, 1 Gigabit Ethernet backbone that provides high speed Internet access through the KUMC Internet-2 communication network.

The University of Kansas Medical Center is a member of the Kansas Research and Education Network (KanREN, Inc.) which provides us access to the commodity Internet (Internet 1), Internet 2 via the Great Plains Network (GPN), and connectivity to other Kansas educational/research institutions and Hospitals.

Most recently, the KanREN network was used to create a peering network between the University of Kansas, University of Kansas Medical Center and the School of Medicine Wichita. Setting up the peering network is the first step in providing seamless access to systems used by faculty, staff, students and researchers spanning the campuses including the Advanced Computing Facility (ACF) located at the KU campus.

The Medical Center's centrally managed Data Centers house the infrastructure for our 450+ physical and virtual servers. The data centers also house our Storage Area Network (SAN) and other disk arrays accounting for 190 TB of useable storage along with a 100 Terabyte NAS for researchers to backup their primary research related data.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging data is transferred to and stored on a network server running XNAT (Extensible Neuroimaging Archive Toolkit) developed by Randy Buckner at Harvard University and the Neuroinformatics Research Group at Washington University School of Medicine; Marcus, et al., 2007), an open source imaging informatics platform designed to facilitate management and exploration of imaging and related data, managed by KUMC's Information Technology.

HBIC Image Analysis and Computing Laboratory

The Image Analysis Laboratory is equipped with Unix, PC/Linux, and Mac workstations for data analysis and interpretation. Software includes LabView, E-Prime, Presentation, AFNI, BrainVoyager, LCModel, SAS, Statistica, ImageJ, Matlab, IDL, Analyze GraphPad, Deltagraph, EndNote, Excel, Powerpoint, and Word. The HBIC also has dedicated programmers and staff for managing imaging data and informatics through XNAT, an open source imaging informatics platform designed to facilitate management and exploration of imaging and related data.

The Image Analysis Laboratory also provides a suite of analysis pipelines for functional and structural imaging. These include validated methods for brain volume measurement (Freesurfer), lesion quantification, arterial spin labeling quantification, fat/muscle analysis (ImageJ) as well as functional analysis using AFNI. Other pipelines are under development and personnel are available for establishing customized analyses.

Offices are available for all HBIC faculty and staff within the HBIC building. Each office is equipped with desktop computer (Mac or PC), printer, and network access as described above. All workstations are equipped with EndNote and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Powerpoint, and Word).

Clinical space in the HBIC includes a patient waiting area, consultation room, changing suite, patient preparation room, and neuropsychology testing room. The Center includes space for both human and research activities including offices, changing rooms, patient preparation areas, and consultation rooms.

Examination Room:

Also available is a 140 sq ft examination room for clinical procedures adjacent to the MRI and MEG suites. Available procedures include physical examinations, neurological examinations, blood draws and processing, urine sampling, height and weight measurements, balance testing, infusions, providing special diets. The examination room is equipped with general nursing supplies, examination table, phlebotomy chair, refrigerators for patient food and supplies and for samples, and a centrifuge. A full time nurse, Sherry Coleman, is available for nursing care. This examination room is a satellite of the CTSA-funded Frontiers Clinical & Translational Science Unit.

Neuropsychological Testing:

A neuropsychological testing room (40 sq ft) is located adjacent to the examination room and scanning facilities. It is equipped with paper and computer-based testing capabilities.

Ancillary services include machine and repair shops, computer support and clinical laboratory services. The clinical laboratory provides all clinical sample testing and analysis including kidney function tests.