Division of Biology and Medicine
BioMed Core Facilities
X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) Facility
X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) is a 3D imaging technology, developed at Brown University, for visualizing rapid skeletal movement in vivo.
X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) Facility
X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) is a 3D imaging technology, developed at Brown University, for visualizing rapid skeletal movement in vivo.
About
X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) is a 3D imaging technology, developed at Brown University, for visualizing rapid skeletal movement in vivo.
XROMM combines 3D models of bone morphology with movement data from biplanar x-ray video to create highly accurate (±0.1 mm) re-animations of the 3D bones moving in 3D space.
Rapid bone motion, such as during bird flight, frog jumping, and human running, can be visualized and quantified with XROMM.
Find Us on CoresRI!
Services and Instruments
Service Request and Reservations
Scheduling
To request a service, please email Erika Tavares, Laboratory Manager
Phone: 401-863-1032
The Morphology calendar is used for scheduling core equipment. A read-only version of the Morphology Group calendar is also available below.
Rates
FY25 Rates
| Service | Units | Internal Academic Rate* | External Academic Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| XROMM | Day | $1,216 | $1,939 |
| CT Scanner | Hour | $241 | $385 |
| SkyScan 1276 in vivo microCT scanner | Hour | $108 | $172 |
| GE Lightspeed Scanner | Hour | $201 | $320 |
| XMAPortal Fee | Deposit | $448 | $715 |
| Technical Assistance | Hour | $49 | $79 |
*Rates for Brown and Rhode Island Academic and Hospital Affiliates
Effective 11/18/2024
For XROMM, setup days are charged at the regular daily rate when staff support is required for setup.
Contacts/Location
Director, XROMM Technology Development Project
-
Elizabeth Brainerd
Robert P. Brown Professor of Biology, Professor of Medical Science, Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyBox G-B
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912-G
Resources for Grants
X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM). This facility, located at the Biomedical Center, is directed by a PhD-level scientist and staffed by a research technician. XROMM is a 3D imaging technology for visualizing rapid skeletal movement in vivo. XROMM combines 3D models of bone morphology with movement data from biplanar X-ray video to create highly accurate re-animations of the 3D bones moving in 3D space. Rapid bone motion, such as during bird flight, frog jumping and human running, can be visualized and quantified with XROMM. Facility instrumentation includes mobile C-arm OEC 9400 Fluoroscopes and a biplanar X-ray room containing two Varian model G-1086 X-ray tubes, 2 EMD Technologies model EPS 45-80 pulsed X-ray generators, two Dunlee model TH9447QQXH590 image intensifiers (16 diameter), and 2 Phanotm v10 high-speed digital video cameras. The facility also has a veterinary Animage Fidex CT Scanner, a CT scanner designed for animals in the size range from rats to dogs and a SKYSCAN 1276 in vivo micro-CT system for scanning small laboratory animals and biological samples.
Scientific reproducibility is enhanced through scientific rigor and transparency. Scientific rigor is the strict application of the scientific method to ensure unbiased and well-controlled experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. The XROMM Facility is committed to supporting research excellence by adopting the following practices of scientific rigor.
- Purchase and maintain a variety of high-quality instruments from established vendors such that the best instrument is available for any given research analysis.
- The equipment is overseen by highly trained experts and well maintained under service contracts or funds budgeted for annual preventive maintenance and repairs.
- The experts are available for experimental design consults or troubleshooting.
Acknowledgment
We thank the Office of the Vice President for Research at Brown University, the RIH Orthopaedic Foundation, and the Bushnell Research and Graduate Education Fund for essential seed funding at the start of the XROMM development project. The W.M. Keck Foundation generously provided funding for the development of biplanar videoradiography hardware, and in support of our interdisciplinary collaborative development of XROMM software. The Instrument Development for Biological Sciences Program at the US National Science Foundation provided funding for the development of low-cost x-ray hardware and XROMM software for comparative biomechanics research.