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Imaging Research Centre for Cardiac Intervention

Imaging Research Centre for Cardiovascular Intervention (IRCCI) Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is a leader in cardiac imaging research in Ontario. We are bringing basic research to clinical application and expanding treatment options for heart patients with our world-class Imaging Research Centre for Cardiovascular Intervention (IRCCI).

The heart of IRCCI is a state-of-the-art facility located in the M wing of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and includes the following facilities and equipment:

  • a research lab;
  • offices of researchers and their staff;
  • day beds for research subjects
  • a catheterization (CATH) laboratory that integrates a flat panel biplane X-ray system with an interventional magnetic resonance (MR) imager;
  • a 3-D ultrasound system;
  • X-ray C-arm;
  • an optical imaging system; and
  • numerous catheter-based imaging systems.

The facility was made possible through $13 million in grants equally matched from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust, with the remaining funds raised by Sunnybrook Foundation.

As a unique facility, the IRCCI examines the way both cardiovascular imaging and interventions proceed by emphasizing the intimate interaction between the two processes. The lab allows researchers to bring the most advanced developments together for:

  • improved detection of cardiovascular disease;
  • evaluation and integration of complementary strengths of multiple imaging modalities; and
  • provision of the best diagnostic and therapeutic combinations for the patient.

With the combination of multiple imaging modalities, including X-ray, MRI, ultrasound and optical coherence tomography, the full spectrum from diagnosis through guidance to measurement of effectiveness can be addressed. The IRCCI facility manages imaging data and provides interventionists with updated information from different imaging methods to guide their decisions, thereby improving detection of cardiovascular disease and the outcomes of interventional procedures for patients.

The IRCCI allows research and clinical teams to collaborate closely in their shared aim of new research and its accelerated translation into the clinic to improve patient care. As a Toronto-wide facility, the new lab acts as the cardiovascular imaging research centre for all University of Toronto teaching hospitals including Sunnybrook, University Health Network and St. Michael's Hospital.