Center for Systems Imaging: Pediatric Imaging Resources

Medical imaging resources located at Wesley Woods Center for Systems Imaging.

This facility is specifically for research studies that do not include clinical care activities. This facility cannot accomodate: insurance billing, patient sedation, medically fragile patients, or patients that require increased care. Projects with these populations should be referred to hospital-based imaging in the Pediatric Imaging Research Core. For questions about which facility to use, contact Jack Goldberg.

The major imaging equipment available at Center for Sytems Imaging (CSI) includes a cyclotron/radiochemistry lab, a 3T MRI system, a HRRT human brain PET system, an Inveon micro PET-CT system, and a multispectral fluorescence animal imaging system. If you have a pediatric research study and need a service not at CSI, please click here to view services available at Egleston Hopsital or Scottish Rite Hospital.

CSI is one of the Emory Intergrated Core Facilities (EICF), to learn more about EICF and other core services please see here.

Currently, there are three categories of imaging studies performed at the Center for Systems Imaging: (1) funded CSI core studies, (2) pilot studies and (3) technical development ("TD") studies.

CSI Policy on Pilot Studies
In order to foster innovation and develop new, funded research at the Emory CSI, the center leadership is committed to support pilot time on the scanners and in each of the core service lines. Up to 15% of available scanner time may be committed to pilot studies. Read more

CSI Policy on Technical Development Studies
Technical development studies are studies performed by CSI core faculty that are done explicitly to either:

Develop, validate, or refine methodology for the express purpose of creating an imaging service or methodology that can then be applied to expand or enhance CSI core services
Test new hardware or software on a core device that will be implemented for use in funded CSI core studies. TD studies may involve simulations, tissue specimens, phantom models, or occasionally human or animal subjects. These studies would typically generate data that would not be specifically intended for use in research papers or as preliminary data for grant applications

CSI Policy on Access to Research Areas
All investigators and designees who access CSI research areas do so under the supervision of the CSI Program Directors and must have the consent of or be accompanied by a CSI core faculty or staff member.Read more

CSI Study Workflow

Pre-Award: View the workflow here.
Post-Award and Pre-Scan Preparations: View the workflow here.
Conducting a Scan: View the workflow here.
Post-Scan: Manage Data View the workflow here.

Organization Chart
CSI Executive Committee, Protocol Planning Committee and Organization Chart: View here.

Resources for Inclusion in Grants
Here is a complete list and description of resources at CSI that may be downloaded and used in your grant. Download

The major imaging equipment available includes a cyclotron/Radiochemistry lab, a 3T MRI system, a HRRT human brain PET system, an Inveon micro PET-CT system, and a multispectral fluorescence animal imaging system.

MRI Scanner and Suite with Mock Scanner

The MRI unit consists of a Siemens Medical Solutions (Malvern, PA) 3.0 Tesla Trio MRI scanner, a full body scanner (60 cm bore) with Sonata gradient set (gradient amplitude of 40mT/m, maximum slew rate of 200T/m/sec, minimum gradient rise time of 200 microseconds). The system is actively shielded and is equipped with 32 RF channels and the total imaging matrix (TIM) suite. Multiple coils are available for the systems, including a 12 channel head matrix coil, 8 channel head coil, 4 channel carotid coil and a 24 channel spine coil. It runs the latest Siemens VB17 software and has a number of advanced Siemens product sequences including SWI, BLADE, Diffusion Tensor Imaging & Tractography, Auto Align feature for reproducible slice positioning based on a 3D MR brain atlas, BOLD imaging and in-line analysis suite with 3D PACE realtime motion correction and single and multi-voxel spectroscopy.

Stimulus/response controls for behavioral tasks concurrent with fMRI are supported by an array of hardware specifically designed to allow investigator flexibility and precision. Visual presentation is provided by a high resolution LCD projection system (1400x1050 SXGA, 4200 lumens, 1300:1 contrast ratio) delivered from the back of the suite onto a custom fit screen mounted within the bore behind the participants head. Audio presentation is provided by an Avotec Silent Scan 3100 that has been calibrated to maintain sound pressure levels that are dependent directly on input (flat frequency response +/- 4dB, 200-4500Hz range). A fiber-optic ergonomic bilateral button response system from Psychology Software Tools exists, as well as a control unit to support custom response shapes (joysticks, steering wheels, wands) from Current Designs. All of the hardware is connected through a single switch that signals TTL trigger pulses and allows connectivity to an investigators laptop with any non-proprietary connections (USB, 1/8” minijack audio, VGA & DVI). A dedicated stimulus and response monitoring computer running Eprime 2.0 and Presentation stimulus programming software also exists.

A mock MRI scanner allows investigators to bring children into the center and have them acclimate to scanning in a very non-threatening way. The mock MRI scanner also has a motion tracking feature with a video monitor. Children are able to watch movies on the mock scanner’s video monitor; however, the movie stops if the child moves his or her head, and will only restart when the child remains still. This is a great way to train a child to remain still while in the scanner.

Click here for information on rates.

Investigators using CSI facilities can easily schedule and view their appointments online. Note that only approved studies will be displayed in the online scheduling system.

For more information regarding access and use, feel free to contact Orman A. Simpson.

Approved investigators can login to the system with their provided user name and password by CLICKING HERE

Please note: Patients who require sedation, patients who require increased care due to acuity or if insurance billing is required should use the inpatient imaging services.