The Experimental Cardiovascular Interventional Laboratory/Core offers the following services to the Partners Research Community:

State-of-the-Art Interventional/Surgical experimental facilities

• Diagnostic imaging technologies
• Device-based interventional vascular models

Complex animal models of disease

1. Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Obesity, others

Innovative Histology and Pathology services (in collaboration with the HST Biomedical Engineering Center Core pathology laboratory)

• Complex tissue/device analysis
• Quantitative morphometric analyses
• Immunohistochemistry & bioanalytical techniques

Director: Bernadette Vallely
Phone: (617) 732-7138
Fax: (617) 732-7134
Email: bvallely@partners.org

Other Staff:

Associate Director: Adam Groothuis
Phone: (857) 205-6245
Fax: (617) 253-2514
Email: groothua@aol.com

Location of Core:

The facility is located at 221 Longwood Ave, BLI 039, Boston.

Major Equipment:

Fixed C-Arm angiographic facility (“Cardiac Catheterization laboratory”)

The Experimental Cardiovascular Interventional Laboratory, is a fully integrated laboratory offering preclinical services with clinical expertise in cardiovascular science. Our research laboratory operations include experimental design and execution.

ECI Laboratory Experimental Services:

The ECI Laboratory specializes in percutaneous or surgical procedures in the coronary arteries as well as the veins and chambers of the heart and peripheral vasculature, including coronary/peripheral angioplasty and stenting, while simultaneously developing percutaneous procedures that will be used for valve repair/replacement. The ECI Laboratory also has well developed methods for understanding devices with special disease model development. The ECI Laboratory has developed models for looking at Diabetic Type I and II models, and Hypercholesterolemia. Other models include: embolic protection efficiency studies, and gene therapy. ECI Laboratory is equipped to help collaborators at any stage of experimentation including study design, protocol generation, and protocol development.

ECI Laboratory Diagnostic Services:
The ECI Laboratory has diagnostic tools for conducting studies that involve:
Right and left heart catheterizations (angiography, LV gram) and other angiographic work. Hemodynamic monitoring includes full disclosure of ECG (6 lead), S02, Blood Pressure, and Respiration recorded during procedures. Imaging technology includes fluoroscopy (Digital), ECHO, IVUS-ICE and QCA available for vessel assessment. All images are stored on CD-ROM with dicom viewer software viewable on any PC.

ECI Laboratory Surgical Services:
ECI Laboratory surgical services include: gastrointestinal anastomosis (cross sectional), interposition vein grafts, vascular shunts, arterial isolation, venous isolation, thorocotomy, ameroid placement, whole organ removal, and necropsy.

Please contact the facility regarding rates.

To access the core, please contact Bernadette Vallely at (617) 732-7138 or by email at bvallely@partners.org or contact Adam Groothuis at (857) 205-6245 or by email at groothua@aol.com.