Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2024-11-18
Buyer: Aarhus Universitet
Country: DK
Region: DK042
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 33110000: Imaging equipment for medical use | 33112000: Echo and ultrasound equipment | 33112100 | 33112200 | 33112300
Estimated value:  EUR

Technical requirements: The purchase is of one (1) Visualsonics Vevo F2 LAZR-X Preclinical Imaging System. The system offers a wide range of ultrasound imaging, allowing for comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation, study of oncology, nephrology, saturation, vascular function and neurobiology. Additionally, the incorporated laser allows for photoacoustic imaging, facilitating visualization of tissue oxygenation and assessment of hemoglobin, which will use to evaluate tissue perfusion and potential injury in hypoxia and/or stroke.
The purchase will be made based on these requirements:
The imaging platform combines high frame rate and ultra-high frequency transducers (≤70 MHz) allowing imaging resolution down to 30 μm, with the opportunity of co-registering laser signals (e.g. oxygen and hemoglobin) with the same level of anatomic accuracy, thus combining anatomical
(ultrasound) and molecular (photoacoustic) images in real-time.

The system can be used for a wide variety of research interests, including oncology, cardiology, molecular biology and neurobiology.

The laser for photoacoustic imaging operates at a wide range of wavelengths: 680-970 nm and 1200-2000 nm. There is possibility for automated characterization of the photoacoustic signal through the entire spectrum of available wavelength ranges.

Feasible for up to 5 photoacoustic signal sources to be displayed simultaneously allowing for multifactorial studies.

The system offers contrast imaging and the use of microbubbles, as well as study of vascularization including blood flow velocity, hypoxia and ischemia.

A great variety of transducers (5mHz-70mHZ) are available, allowing for customization of study protocols, with several transducers also covering the photoacoustic and contrast modalities, all of which can easily be used with the same imaging system.

The imaging platform comes with relevant workflow-oriented software for researchers with highly advanced measurements and annotations, e.g. cardiac hemodynamic parameters, vascular function, analysis of structures in 3D and 4D, and the overlay and analysis of Doppler signals in any image.

There is advanced post-processing capabilities; review, analysis and export of generic measurements and annotations; export of avi, tiff, bmp, gif, raw, csv, DICOM, and MP4 files.

The system has comprehensive echocardiographic features, i.e. B-Mode, M-Mode, Color/Power and Tissue Doppler, 3D and 4D imaging and corresponding analysis software, including opportunities for strain and pressure-volume loop analysis. Ultrasound and Doppler images can be co-registered in real time.

Cine loop image reconstruction ranging up to 10,000 fps, with live on-screen ECG tracing with advanced ECG detection, for detection and description of the cardiac cycle in high cardiac frequencies, e.g. for mice.
Automated left ventricle trace analysis for B- and M-mode, with feasibility of creating PV-loops with pressure recordings.

The system comes with an animal physiology platform, allowing for registration of real-time ECG, warming and temperature monitoring, fixing of anesthesia mask and stereotaxis, and the optional integration of blood pressure measurements.

Live on-screen ECG tracing with ECG displayed for three clinically relevant leads, with ECG-gated image acquisition and analysis opportunities.

Live and post-processing opportunities for respiration-gating.

The system can be connected to a network with min 100Mb Ethernet connection, and come with USB 3.0 ports to allow for fast data transfer.

Storage of min. 1TB with a SATA 7200RPM hard drive.

Acknowledgement of the system in relevant research publications within the last year.

A thorough investigation has been performed looking into biomedical research literature and available ultrasound systems. No other system which has been used in relevant research fulfils the above criteria; they are either lacking in user interface, and/or lack the adaptability and technical characteristics that VisualSonics can deliver. Other rodent systems do not provide the needed functions and image versatility with the same high-quality results; and systems for clinical/human imaging will produce poor results for rodents due to the low frequency. Visualsonics is the only manufacturer that can deliver an ultrasound system that integrates photoacoustic and contrast imaging for animals as small as rodents. They are the only manufacturer that are able to offer such a system with a simple user interface, software tools and customer support.
Aarhus University 
The Skou Building (building 1115, room 416)


Winner: FUJIFILM VisualSonics Inc.
Award value: 889480