Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Small Animal Imaging pp 151–164Cite as

Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Basic Principles, Instrumentation and Practical Issue

  • Chapter

Abstract

The purpose of this book chapter is to provide a basic introduction to the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its extension to small animal imaging using magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM). The chapter starts with a section describing the most fundamental aspects of MR including the resonance phenomena, relaxation mechanisms, and the basic physical processes leading to MR signal generation. Afterwards the concept of magnetic field gradients leading to the most basic imaging principles of MRI and MRM will be summarized. This introduction will be completed by giving an overview over the MR hardware involved, the basic information content of a MRM experiment and finally challenges and limitations of this imaging technology and some imaging examples will be discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   179.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abragam A (1961) Principles of nuclear magnetism. Clarendon, Oxford, pp 1–599

    Google Scholar 

  • Benveniste H, Blackband S (2002) MR microscopy and high resolution small animal MRI: applications in neuroscience research. Prog Neurobiol 67:393–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brockmann MA, Kemmling A, Groden C (2007) Current issues and perspectives in small rodent magnetic resonance imaging using clinical MRI scanners. Methods 43:79–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulte JW, Kraitchman DL (2004) Iron oxide MR contrast agents for molecular and cellular imaging. NMR Biomed 17:484–499

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Callaghan PT (1991) Principles of magnetic resonance microscopy. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Cercignani M, Horsfield MA (2001) The physical basis of diffusion weighted MRI. J Neurol Sci 186:11–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowan B (1997) Nuclear magnetic resonance and relaxation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dazai J, Bock NA, Nieman BJ, Lorinda M, Davidson R, Henkelman M, Chen XJ (2004) Multiple mouse biological loading and monitoring system for MRI. Magn Res Med 52:709–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles CD, Callaghan PT (1986) High resolution imaging: the NMR microscope. J Magn Reson 68:393–398

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ernst RR, Bodenhausen G, Wokaun A (1986) Principles of nuclear magnetic resonance in one and two dimensions. Clarendon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadian DG (1982) Nuclear magnetic resonance and its applications to living systems. Clarendon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Gareis D, Wichmann T, Lanz T, Melkus G, Horn M, Jakob PM (2007) Mouse MRI using phased-array coils. NMR Biomed 20(3):326–334

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haacke EM, Brown RW, Thompson MR, Venkatesan R (1999) Magnetic resonance imaging: physical principles and sequence design. Wiley-Liss, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Haase A, Odoj F, von Kienlin M, Warnking J, Fidler F, Weisser A, Nittka M, Rommel E, Lanz T, Kalusche B, Griswold M (2000) NMR probeheads for in vivo applications. Concepts Magn Res 12(6):361–388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrick RE, Haacke EM (1993) Basic physics of MR contrast agents and maximization of image contrast. JMRI 3:137–148

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lauffer RB (1987) Paramagnetic metal complexes as water proton relaxation agents for NMR imaging: theory and design. Chem Rev 87(5):901–927

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lauterbur PC (1973) Image formation by induced local interactions – examples employing nuclear magnetic resonance. Nature 242:190–191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mansfield P (1977) Multi-planar image formation using NMR spin echoes. J Phys C 10:L55–L58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mansfield P, Grannell PK (1975) Diffraction in microscopy in solids and liquids by NMR. Phys Rev B 12:3618

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McConnell J (1987) The theory of nuclear magnetic relaxation in liquids. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 1–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Melkus G, Mörchel P, Behr VC, Kotas M, Flentje M, Jakob PM (2008) Short-echo spectroscopic imaging combined with lactate editing in a single scan. NMR Biomed 21:1076–1086

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morris PG (1986) Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in medicine and biology. Clarendon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller R (1996) Contrast agents in whole body magnetic resonance: operating mechanism. In: Encylopedia of nuclear magnetic resonance, D. M. Grant and R. K. Harris, vol 3. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stejskal EO, Tanner JE (1965) Spin diffusion measurements: spin echoes in the presence of a time-dependent field gradient. J Chem Phys 42:288–292

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wehrli FW, Shaw D, Kneeland JB (1988) Biomedical magnetic resonance imaging. Weinheim, VCH

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood ML, Hardy PA (1993) Proton relaxation enhancement. JMRI 3:149–156

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft with grants Ad 132/3-1, Ba 1433/4-1, Fl 225/2-1 and Mu 576/14-1 and the Graduiertenkolleg 1048 “Organogenesis.” The author would like to thank Esra Lang, Gerd Melkus, Philipp Mörchel, Simon Triphan for contributing to Figs. 12.5 and 12.6.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Physics 5, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Peter Jakob

Authors
  1. Peter Jakob
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Jakob .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Experimental Molecular Imaging, University of Aachen (RWTH), Pauwelsstraße 20, Aachen, 52074, Germany

    Fabian Kiessling

  2. Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation, Department of Radiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Röntgenweg 13, Tübingen, 72076, Germany

    Bernd J. Pichler

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Jakob, P. (2011). Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Basic Principles, Instrumentation and Practical Issue. In: Kiessling, F., Pichler, B. (eds) Small Animal Imaging. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12945-2_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12945-2_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-12944-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-12945-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation