You are here:
Due to the strong cardiological focus and surgical interests prevalent at Charité and the German Heart Center Berlin (DHZB), a large animal surgical research facility has been in operation on Campus Virchow-Klinikum since the mid-1990s. Thanks to a joint initiative by Charité and the DHZB, the site (which forms part of the Experimental Medicine Research Facilities) was expanded in early 2017 and now includes a modern hybrid operating room. A Core Facility of Charité, the site’s valuable research infrastructure offers opportunities for preclinical research at the point of care and training using large animal models.
The more recent surgical technology additions were specifically designed to facilitate cardiology and cardiac surgery interventions. A modern angiography system, which can be combined with additional imaging options such as 3D echocardiography, 3D mapping and optical coherence tomography (OCT), can be used for both research projects and teaching/training events pertaining to implants, artificial hearts or percutaneous interventions for the treatment of structural valve defects and may involve the use of surgical phantoms or large animal models.
Support is provided by a team of experienced veterinary surgeons and can range from assistance with project planning to anesthesia support and post-surgical intensive care. This creates ideal conditions for translational research within the interventional specialties at the highest level.
Services available (selection)
- Conduct of animal research and training events
- Advice on study design, the selection of models and the drafting of applications pertaining to animal research
- Anesthesia and surgical support
- Specialist veterinary support for acute and chronic studies
- The housing and care of large animals (sheep, pigs, miniature pigs)
Equipment
- State-of-the-art angiography system (Philips Allura Clarity FD20)
- Comprehensive range of software tools (echo, heart, and vessel navigators)
- EPIQ7 and CX50 ultrasound machines (TTE, TEE, ICE, IVUS)
- Carto-3 System, OPTIS Integrated-System, XperCT
- Heart-lung machine, ECMO
- Management and care of research animals
- Certified to meet ISO 9001:2015
Contact
+49 30 450 576 515
Head of Research Institutes for Experimental Medicine
Dr. Stefan Nagel-Riedasch