The resources of the LIHP are concentrated at two major locations: The teaching laboratory and the offices of LIHP personnel are located in Mariucci Arena.
The laboratory at Mariucci Arena is equipped with Philips Medical, ImagePoint Hx ultrasound scanner with a 7.5 MHz linear array transducer. This ultrasound is primarily used for the non-invasive assessment of vessel wall properties. B-mode ultrasound images are obtained by digitizing the image from composite analogue video output of the ultrasound scanner and storing the acquired image on a Compaq Proliant Server. The computer is equipped with a Data Translation DT 3152 frame grabber programmed to acquire a specified number of video frames coincident with the R-wave of an ECG. The computer is programmed with a specialized electronic wall-tracking software program (Vascular Research Tools 5, Medical Imaging Application, LLC, Iowa City, IA, USA) used for the analysis of arterial lumen diameter, and intima-media thickness (IMT). Quantification of resting and reactive hyperemic blood flow can be obtained using the Doppler function of the ultrasound and the previously mentioned arterial diameter software. The Philips Medical, ImagePoint Hx ultrasound scanner is also equipped with a 4 MHz sector transducer for the measures of cardiac structure and function.
The laboratory at Mariucci Arena also contains the following equipment:
- A Nicolet/EME Companion Portable Doppler system equipped with a 1.0 MHz hand held Doppler probe for the measurement of blood flow velocities of the major arteries supplying blood to the brain. The system is also equipped with a head piece mounted 1.0 MHz Doppler probe. Blood flow velocities of brain can also be done during exercise using Blood flow velocity images from the Companion, which are stored on a computer via a Windaq acquisition system for beat by beat analysis.
- A Colin Pilot Arterial Tonometry Monitor to measure real time beat-to-beat heart rate and arterial blood pressure for the assessment of heart rate and blood pressure variability are done using. This system is also combined with a tilt table to measure autonomic nervous system activity. The Colin Pilot Arterial Tonometry Monitor can also measure pulse oximetry and end-tidal carbon dioxide production.
- A EndoPAT 2000 (Itamar Medical, Caesarea, Israel) for measuring endothelial function via digital reactive hyperemia. This system provides a simple noninvasive method for determine vascular function in a variety of populations.
- A MedGraphics Ultima metabolic stress testing system, which consists of a fully integrated Cardio Perfect 12-lead ECG system combined with a MedGraphics Ultima breath-by-breath oxygen uptake gas exchange system. The ECG/metabolic system is coupled with a Lode Corival electrically braked bicycle ergometer and Tracmaster treadmill.