University Hospitals KU Leuven

4 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Medicine

A Novel Surgical Approach for Intratracheal Administration of Bioactive Agents in a Fetal Mouse Model

Marianne S. Carlon^*1, Jaan Toelen^*2, Marina Mori da Cunha², Dragana Vidović¹, Anke Van der Perren³, Steffi Mayer², Lourenço Sbragia², Johan Nuyts⁴, Uwe Himmelreich⁵, Zeger Debyser¹, Jan Deprest²

¹Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, ²Department of Woman and Child, KU Leuven, ³Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, ⁴Division of Nuclear Medicine, KU Leuven, ⁵Biomedical NMR Unit/ MoSAIC, KU Leuven

We developed a novel surgical approach for intratracheal administration of bioactive agents into the mouse fetus. The delivery route is more efficient in targeting the fetal mouse lungs than the commonly used intra-amniotic injection. This procedure has to date not been described in a mouse model.

Medicine

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Ryan Hodges^1,2, Masayuki Endo¹, Andre La Gerche³, Elisenda Eixarch^4,5, Philip DeKoninck¹, Vessilina Ferferieva³, Jan D'hooge³, Euan M. Wallace², Jan Deprest¹

¹Division Woman and Child, Department Women, University Hospitals Leuven, ²The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia, ³Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, ⁴Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), ⁵Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department, ICGON, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)

We describe examination of fetal cardiac function with contemporary functional fetal echocardiography and fetoplacental Doppler ultrasound using the VisualSonics VEVO 2100 microultrasound in a surgically induced model of intrauterine fetal growth restriction in a rabbit.

Bioengineering

Medical-grade Sterilizable Target for Fluid-immersed Fetoscope Optical Distortion Calibration

Daniil I. Nikitichev^*1, Dzhoshkun I. Shakir^*1, François Chadebecq¹, Marcel Tella¹, Jan Deprest^1,2, Danail Stoyanov³, Sébastien Ourselin¹, Tom Vercauteren¹

¹Translational Imaging Group, CMIC, University College London, ²Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals Leuven, ³Surgical Robot Vision Group, CMIC, University College London

This article describes the design and development of a sterilizable custom camera optical distortion calibration target for the peri-operative, fluid-immersed calibration of endoscopes during endoscopic interventions.

Medicine

Transvaginal Mesh Insertion in the Ovine Model

Iva Urbankova^1,2, Geertje Callewaert^1,3, Nikhil Sindhwani¹, Alice Turri¹, Lucie Hympanova^1,2, Andrew Feola¹, Jan Deprest^1,3

¹Centrum for Surgical Technologies, Department of Development and Regeneration, Clinical Specialties Research Groups, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, ²Institute for the Care of Mother and Child and Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, ³Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven

This protocol describes mesh implantation in the ovine rectovaginal septum using a single vaginal incision technique, with and without the trocar-guided insertion of anchoring arms.