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Microcoil-based MRI: feasibility study and cell culture applications using a conventional animal system

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Abstract

Object

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of MR microimaging on a conventional 9.4 T horizontal animal MRI system using commercial available microcoils in combination with only minor modifications to the system, thereby opening this field to a larger community.

Materials and methods

Commercially available RF microcoils designed for high-resolution NMR spectrometers were used in combination with a custom-made probehead. For this purpose, changes within the transmit chain and modifications to the adjustment routines and image acquisition sequences were made, all without requiring expensive hardware. To investigate the extent to which routine operation and high-resolution imaging is possible, the quality of phantom images was analysed. Surface and solenoidal microcoils were characterized with regard to their sensitive volume and signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, the feasibility of using planar microcoils to achieve high-resolution images of living glioma cells labelled with MnCl2 was investigated.

Results

The setup presented in this work allows routine acquisition of high-quality images with high SNR and isotropic resolutions up to 10 μm within an acceptable measurement time.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that MR microscopy can be applied at low cost on animal MR imaging systems, which are in widespread use. The successful imaging of living glioma cells indicates that the technique promises to be a useful tool in biomedical research.

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Abbreviations

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

SNR/mm3 :

Signal-to-noise ratio per unit volume

SGU:

Signal generation unit

FA:

Flip angle

SE:

Spin echo

GE:

Gradient echo

MGE:

Multi gradient echo

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Physics, Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 60a, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Hans Weber, Nicoleta Baxan, Dominik Paul, Julian Maclaren, Mohammad Mohammadzadeh, Jürgen Hennig & Dominik von Elverfeldt

  2. Bruker BioSpin AG, Industriestrasse 26, Fällanden, 8117, Switzerland

    Daniel Schmidig

Authors
  1. Hans Weber
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  2. Nicoleta Baxan
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  3. Dominik Paul
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  4. Julian Maclaren
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  5. Daniel Schmidig
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  6. Mohammad Mohammadzadeh
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  7. Jürgen Hennig
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  8. Dominik von Elverfeldt
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Correspondence to Hans Weber.

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Weber, H., Baxan, N., Paul, D. et al. Microcoil-based MRI: feasibility study and cell culture applications using a conventional animal system. Magn Reson Mater Phy 24, 137–145 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-011-0244-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-011-0244-0

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