Facilities

3Tesla Siemens Magnetom Skyra MRI scanner

The MRI scanner has been funded by an award from the Wolfson Foundation. It is the latest Siemens 3T Magnetom Skyra MRI scanner. It has a wider (70cm) and shorter (173cm) bore to aid in participant compliance and comfort, without compromising image quality. We have a large collection of high density coils for neuro, body and orthopaedic scanning, together with the TIM 4th generation system with multi channel to support ultra high density coils. The undockable table with integrated spine coils holds up to 250kg. The MRI suite contains MR compatible monitoring systems, infusion pumps and an eye tracker.

CRICBristol is a Siemens Reference Site, providing training and experience for others in using Skyra. It is an approved IDEA software user which will allow bespoke scanning protocols to be generated.

Facilities for data analysis and high performance computing are available.

A purpose-built sleep and physiological monitoring facility

The CRICBristol unit includes two purpose-built sleep physiology rooms with en-suite bathrooms and an adjacent observation and monitoring room, plus a small sitting area for use by patients admitted to the sleep labs. All rooms have pipeline medical gases.

Our sleep rooms are all fitted with full polysomnographic recording equipment together with infrared video plus sound recording and monitoring facilities. The rooms are environmentally controlled, with the facility to adjust and control the room temperature over a wide range. Each room is connected to the monitoring and observation room by light and sound protected ports that allow continuous or intermittent sampling or administration of enteral or parenteral infusions, as well as the use of additional monitoring for specific studies.

The monitoring and observation facilities make the sleep rooms suitable for use by patients requiring overnight respiratory support by CPAP, bi-level non-invasive ventilatory support or invasive ventilatory support via a tracheostomy.

The bedrooms are suitable for post-sleep cognitive testing using portable equipment. For research studies requiring additional complex daytime testing, the sleep research subject can be studied in the adjacent research rooms.

The entire suite is designed to be suitable for use by babies, children, or adults.

Four well-equipped clinical research rooms

Our spacious rooms include a fully adjustable examination couch, an examination light, sink, preparation area, desk, interview chairs and surfacing suitable for invasive studies. Each room contains a computer with access to University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

High performance computing

We offer Linux high performance computers (University of Bristol) to research teams using CRICBristol, for analysing imaging data. The University of Bristol also provides wi-fi access (this is available via the eduroam network. University members will need to obtain the necessary username and password access. Information about connecting your computer or smartphone is available on the University of Bristol website).

Seminar room

The seminar room is equipped for  training and research meetings and can accommodate up to 16 people board-room style or 30 people theatre style. There is a projector, and access to a laptop to use with the projector can be requested.

For smaller, more informal, meeting groups there is also a small meeting room which can seat a maximum of five people.

Sample preparation and handling room ('wet lab')

This room has facilities for spinning, separation and immediate preparation of blood, urine and other samples, including a centrifuge, fridges, freezers, ice making machine, and lab benchtop space. It is is linked by a portal to the MRI scanner to receive samples and has facilities for direct communication with the scanning room.

Resus Trolleys

Facility prices

Other projects should please contact the CRICBristol staff, who would be happy to provide costing information.