# ShEEP Request for Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound VisualSonics Imaging System

> **NIH VA IS1** · LOUIS STOKES CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Neural interfaces used for electrical stimulation or recording of the nervous system have demonstrated and
vast potential for rehabilitation of Veterans with various neurological or physical disabilities, ranging from motor
neural prostheses, sensory neural prosthesis, and intracortical microelectrodes used for Brain-Computer
Interfacing (BCI). Our research involves developing the next generation of neuromodulation therapies and neural
prosthetic approaches to improve the lives of people with various neurological or physical disabilities, including
spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation, or paralysis. The team’s research spans neural interface device
development, preclinical evaluation of neural interfaces, and all the way to clinical implementation, involving
safety and efficacy monitoring of neural interfaces. In all the team’s studies, there is a critical need to either A)
better visualize the device-tissue interface, or B) quantitatively assess, in vivo, specific tissue health in response
to therapies aimed at improving the device-tissue interface. In both cases, there is a need for a very high
resolution live-imaging technique that is non-invasive so that it can be applied at multiple time points,
longitudinally throughout a study.
 The requested Vevo 3100 LT is part of the FUJIFILM VisualSonics product portfolio which consists of the
world’s first one-touch ultrasound platform that helps users visualize data at the highest resolution available
(down to 30 µm, or 10x better than standard clinical ultrasounds). The system combines a number of features,
such as HD image processing, to reduce speckle noise and artifacts, making it the ideal system for small animal
and superficial clinical imaging (with approved IRB protocol). The wide range of probes (9-70 MHz) offers users
the ability to select the ideal frequency and depth of imaging for each unique animal model and application.
 The lead PI, Dr. Shoffstall recently completed his CDA-1 and has established a new lab at the Cleveland
VAMC with new Merit Review funding (anticipated start July 2020). He has multiple ongoing and future projects
for which this equipment would be very valuable. Furthermore, he has assembled an array of investigators
spanning those with multiple Merit Reviews as well as Junior level investigators, all whom have needs for the
high frequency ultrasound technology to benefit their ongoing research goals. For the present grant application,
the investigators have identified several areas of critical importance that would be aided by this equipment,
specifically surrounding the evaluation of neural interfaces or associated treatments, including:
  In vivo monitoring of experimental therapies
  Surgical planning and neural interface implant monitoring
  Intraoperative neural-fascicular anatomy studies
  Ultrasound as therapeutic intervention / neuromodulation
  (Secondary potential benefit); VA physician use in clinical cases (with approved IRB protocol)
 The investiga...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10179602
- **Project number:** 1IS1BX005546-01
- **Recipient organization:** LOUIS STOKES CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrew Shoffstall
- **Activity code:** IS1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-10-01 → 2021-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10179602

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10179602, ShEEP Request for Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound VisualSonics Imaging System (1IS1BX005546-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10179602. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*