At ISMRM 2011, Bruker today announces a novel BioSpec® 150/11 system, a new ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner for preclinical research that will open new frontiers in molecular and microscopic imaging. Based on Bruker's proven 15.0 Tesla shielded refrigerated USR™ magnet technology, which has already been successfully installed in several Bruker FT- mass spectrometry customer laboratories, this new MRI system takes advantage of the intrinsically high signal-to-noise ratio and enhanced contrast mechanisms at high fields. Leveraging the concurrent development of the first 15 Tesla MRI CryoProbe™ for high resolution neuroimaging, the new BioSpec® 150/11 system enables new research on in vivo molecular events.
The first BioSpec® 150/11 system is expected to be delivered to Vanderbilt University (www.vuiis.vanderbilt.edu) in 2011. Scientists within the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS) will collaborate with Bruker to further develop ultra-high field MRI applications and techniques for innovative molecular imaging studies in cancer biology, neuroscience and metabolism studies, and to advance translational imaging research that may benefit human clinical care. Funds for the purchase of the 15T system were provided by the NIH National Center for Research Resources as part of their High-End Instrumentation program, funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The BioSpec® 150/11 is the most recent milestone in the successful history of Bruker's preclinical MRI product line. The easy and cost-effective installation of the 15T system is possible due to the compact magnet design of only 1.5 m length and Bruker's active-shielding technology for minimum stray fields (less than 2.5 m from the magnet centre axially). The active helium refrigeration of the USR™ magnet provides virtually zero boil-off, resulting in reduced maintenance costs and completely eliminating the need for nitrogen cooling.
The concurrent development of a unique Bruker MRI CryoProbe™ at 15T is expected to deliver even further increases in MRI signal-to-noise compared to room-temperature radiofrequency (RF) MRI coils. Bruker is the pioneer and leader in cryogenically-cooled probes for high-resolution NMR, and has sold almost 1,000 CryoProbes worldwide.
John Gore, Ph.D., professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, commented: "We are appreciative for the funding award from the National Center for Research Resources that enabled this purchase. This new 15 Tesla preclinical imaging system will enable our investigators to explore a new technology that will provide important new applications at the forefront of imaging science. We are especially excited by the prospect of working at very high field, being able to push the sensitivity and spatial resolution of microscopic MRI studies in models of human diseases. My colleagues and I anticipate there will be additional benefits from use of the cryogenic MRI coil technology."
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