Imaging labs

Within the Cardiovascular Ultrasound Lab, there are several imaging labs. Explore each of them below!

Services

Our laboratory welcomes new investigators who wish to utilize our cardiovascular ultrasound services in their research projects. If you are interested, please fill out the intake form and email it to CVUS.research@sickkids.ca.

Current studies

Clinical Studies

Study titleStudy objective
AdDITMulti-center study to investigate subclinical signs of cardiovascular disease in children, adolescents and adults with Type 1 Diabetes
ATTEMPTAdolescent Type 1 diabetes Treatment with SGLT2i for hyperglycEMia & hyPerfilTration Trial
AVSDMulti-center study of neonates born with complete AVSD to determine the optimal surgical treatment and outcomes
BRAF (GSK)Multi-center study to determine safety and tolerability of Dabrafenib in children and adolescents with advanced solid tumors
ControlsEstablishment of normal values of echocardiography ventricular and vascular function
GENOMETo recruit and study parents of children with CHD
MEK (GSK)Multi-center study to investigate safety and clinical activity of Trametinib in children and adolescents with Cancer or Plexiform Neurofibromas
MUSICLong-TerM OUtcomes after the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children
Pediatric Heart Network. DO-ITMulti-center study to investigate vascular function in Dyslipidemia of Obesity Intervention in Teens
PCS2Multi-center study to investigate novel approaches to the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac late effects in survivors of childhood cancer
SINGLE VENTRICLE EXERCISETo assess ventricular function in adult Fontan patients during exercise
TOF-LIFEMulti-center study to determine the association between baseline cardiac morphology, surgical repair technique and RV physiology and morphology in patients undergoing cardiac surgery for TOF

Longitudinal strain analysis of a left ventricle with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Composite image of the assessment of the lateral right ventricular wall using colour tissue Doppler.

Assessment of tissue velocities and wave-forms using colour tissue Doppler imaging.

Three-dimensional echocardiography of a prosthetic tricuspid valve with retracted leaflets.

Left ventricular ejection fraction calculation using three-dimensional imaging.

Pre-Clinical Studies

Study titleStudy objective
Myocardial Perfusion in a HLHS mice model (collab. John Sled)To investigate the myocardial perfusion in a hypoplastic left heart syndrome model at the fœtal stage and just after birth.
Myocardial stiffness and perfusion of the right ventricle. Rat PAH modelsTo assess the evolution of myocardial stiffness and microperfusion of the right ventricle according to models of volume overload (free PI) or pressure overload (PA banding).
Ultrafast imaging exploration of a pig heart infarct model with stem cells injection. (collab. Mike Laflamme) To investigate the roles of the direct and indirect mechanisms underpinning the improved heart function observed after injecting new cardiac cells into an infarct scar. 
Optimizing cerebral perfusion using brain ultrafast ultrasound imaging in a rodent extracorporeal circulation model (collab. Christoph Haller)To quantify alterations in cerebral blood flow before, during and after different cardiopulmonary bypass modalities.
Ultrafast ultrasound imaging – kidney studies – Mice model. (collab. Darren Yuen) To explore the potential of ultrafast imaging for the kidney stiffness assessment and the microperfusion assessment.  

Publications

RSS Recent Publications by CVUS Contributors

Photos of the imaging lab

The front desk area of the Echo Lab at the Hospital of Sick Children. A clerk is sitting behind the registration desk surrounded by colorful murals on the wall.
A waiting area with a fish tank, colourful window decorations and a multi-level view of the hospital.
The cardiac ultrasound houses the ultrasound machine, hospital bed and television.
In the vascular ultrasound area the sonographer is operating equipment to acquire images of blood vessels in the patient's arm. The patient is lying comfortably on their back with additional sensors attached to their fingers.
The bicycle stress echo equipment room with specialized bicycle that reclines and tilts, ultrasound machine and electrophysiology equipment.
In the bicycle stress echo area, the sonographer is acquiring ultrasound images of the patient's heart while the patient is pedaling on the special bicycle