Brookfield Zoo’s  Animal Hospital Imaging Suite

Overview
The Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo is now home to a world-class imaging suite with the addition of a CT scanner. Donated by Loyola University Medical Center and installed through a gift from the Aurelio Caccomo Family Foundation, this new piece of equipment enhances the zoo’s diagnostic capabilities and gives it the distinction of having the best, most comprehensive imaging suite at any zoo. Brookfield Zoo is the second zoo in the U.S. to own an on-site CT scanner and is the only zoo animal hospital in North America to combine digital radiology and CT technology in the same facility.

Imaging Suite Details
  • CT Scanner – Produces 3D images of the inside of a patient’s body, enabling zoo veterinarians to identify a specific health problem and pinpoint its exact location. The scanner can work on animals that weigh up to 400 pounds.
  • Digital Radiography System – Consists of two diagnostic imaging systems to produce digital x-ray images. This state-of-the-art system provides better resolution and image quality than traditional film x-rays. The systems can be used both in the hospital or taken out in the zoo, providing x-ray images in a matter of seconds.
  • Mammography Unit – Provides x-ray imaging with greater detail on smaller patients such as small mammals, birds and reptiles.
  • Large animal X ray Machine – Takes x-ray pictures (radiographs) of animals up to 450 pounds on a movable table. Additionally, an overhead system allows the machine to take radiographs of animals too large to fit on the table. An additional portable machine allows for x-rays of animals too large to fit in the hospital, such as giraffes and elephants.
  •  Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) – Allows for images to be viewed from any of the computers within the hospital, merely by calling the images up from stored files. Each patient’s case, which includes images from the zoo’s X ray, CT scanner, and ultrasound machines, are saved in PACS to provide a complete picture of the animals’ health over time. Images can be shared with consultants and other zoo veterinarians remotely.
  • Ultrasound Machines – Two ultrasound units provide veterinarians with another imaging modality (sonograms) to evaluate animal health. The portable units allow evaluation of animals both in the hospital and in the zoo. Many animals, such as dolphins, are trained to allow ultrasound exams while awake.