E.I. Medical Imaging Provides Equipment for Saint Louis Zoo Research Project

Online, July 1, 2013 (Newswire.com) - E.I. Medical Imaging ("EIMI") is proud to announce it will be assisting the Saint Louis Zoo's Institute for Conservation Medicine and Dr. Sharon Deem, and her research partners, in a study entitled "How Environment, Physiology and Life History Interact to Determine Pattern in Animal Migration." Dr. Deem's work will take place this summer in the Galapagos Islands. The study is one of the investigations within the giant tortoise program led by Dr. Stephen Blake. The giant tortoise program was developed to assist the Galapagos National Park (GNP) to effectively conserve giant Galapagos tortoises by conducting cutting edge applied science and to develop an inspirational tortoise-based outreach and education program.

EIMI will be providing portable ultrasound equipment for the project and its team to use in the field to allow them to better perform health evaluations and determine the reproductive status of females within their study. The team will be provided an Ibex® Pro ultrasound system as well as of Insite2 headset, 2 transducers for their special use and an extra battery to take with them on their trip. The cost of the entire package on loan to the Saint Louis Zoo for the coming months is in excess of $23,000US.

President of EIMI, Chas Maloy was excited about the project and has always been the first to step up and contribute in any way possible to help many zoos, conservation groups and researchers with their needs in the field. "Many nonprofits cannot afford to do the research necessary without the help of corporate and individual assistance. I have always felt a responsibility for myself and for EIMI to be a part of this much needed contribution to those programs," said Maloy. "The work Drs. Deem, Blake, and co-investigators are performing is critical for the tortoise and other endangered species and wildlife. I admire people like Dr. Deem and I applaud her work and the research she is accomplishing."

A wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist at the Saint Louis Zoo, Dr. Sharon Deem is a leader in conservation medicine. She holds a DVM from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and a PhD from the University of Florida. She completed a three-year zoo and wildlife medicine residency at the University of Florida and is board-certified in the American College of Zoological Medicine. Before joining the Saint Louis Zoo, Dr. Deem worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society and Smithsonian National Zoo and lived and worked in the Galapagos for three years as the veterinary epidemiologist for the Saint Louis Zoo's WildCare Institute Center for Avian Health in the Galapagos. To address the challenges associated with the growing interconnections between the health of humans and the animal kingdom, the Saint Louis Zoo established the Institute for Conservation Medicine in 2011 (http://www.stlzoo.org/conservation/institute-for-conservation-medicine/).

Dr. Deem brings years of experience to the Institute from her work with both zoo and field-based conservation medicine projects. Dr. Deem states, "Through the Zoo's Institute for Conservation Medicine, we are analyzing the link between the health of wildlife, humans and ecosystems to better understand and manage the diseases that threaten the conservation of wildlife species, human public health and ecosystem function."
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About The Galapagos Tortoise Conservation and Health Project:

The Institute for Conservation Medicine is a co-investigating partner on a NSF funded grant entitled "How Environment, Physiology and Life History Interact to Determine Pattern in Animal Migration." You can learn more about this study and Galapagos tortoise conservation and health issues at www.gianttortoise.org. The overall goal of the giant tortoise program is to assist the Galapagos National Park (GNP) to effectively conserve giant Galapagos tortoises by conducting cutting edge applied science and developing an inspirational tortoise-based outreach and education program.

About E.I. Medical Imaging

E.I. Medical Imaging was founded in 1984 based on the singular vision of developing state-of-the-art, portable, durable ultrasound systems to serve veterinarians and livestock producers world-wide. Over the company's 29-year history, E.I. Medical Imaging products have evolved with the needs of the market. We are proud to be the only manufacturer of portable ultrasound systems engineered and developed in the United States specifically for the animal industry. If you have questions, feel free to contact E.I. Medical Imaging at [email protected].