Cryogenically-cooled technology significantly enhances current capabilities of cardiac and brain MRI in mice

To effectively study cardiac morphology and function, or follow neuroinflammatory processes in the brain, image quality is everything. The current capabilities of cardiac and brain MRI in mice are being significantly enhanced by cryogenically-cooled technology, which is proving invaluable to researchers around the world.

Cardiac morphology and function assessment of mice by magnetic resonance imaging is of increasing interest for a variety of mouse models in preclinical cardiac research, such as myocardial infarction models or myocardial injury/remodeling in genetically or pharmacologically induced hypertension.

Standard signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) constraints directly limit image quality and thus blood myocardium delineation, both of which crucially depend on high spatial resolution.

Bruker will present an informative webinar which explains how these problems can be resolved. Professor Thoralf Niendorf (Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility, Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany) will demonstrate, in a free 30 minute webinar, the powerful potential for enhanced resolution through use of a cryogenically-cooled probe, a Bruker innovation named the MRI CryoProbe™.

Delivering a significant signal-to-noise (SNR) gain of a factor of 3.0 to 5.0 over conventional room temperature coils, spatio-temporal resolution is directly boosted, providing sufficient detail to expand the study of cardiac morphology and function, as well as neuroinflammatory processes in the brain.

The markedly improved image quality shows better delineation of myocardial borders and enhances depiction of papillary muscles and trabeculae – facilitating more accurate cardiac chamber quantification.

With high resolution non-invasive imaging techniques a comprehensive view of brain inflammation during the pathogenesis of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) can be achieved; inflammatory infiltrates within various regions of the brain can be studied in detail – even without the use of contrast agents – whilst showing excellent correspondence with conventional histology.

This opens up a real opportunity to follow neuroinflammatory processes even during the early stages of disease progression. High-resolution MRI not only complements conventional histology, but also enables longitudinal studies of the kinetics and dynamics of immune cell infiltration.

Bruker invites any preclinical imaging scientists working in MRI, operators of preclinical CRO’s and those researching cardiac studies, myocardial infarction and injury/remodeling, neuroinflammatory models, and immune cell infiltration, to register for the free online event that takes place on Tuesday 27th May 2014.

The seminar is available in two sessions on the day, starting at 10.00 am and 5.00 pm CET time.

Those unable to attend the event are given the opportunity to register anyway and have the webinar slides and a link to a recording of the event sent to them for viewing at a more convenient time.

Register now for Session 1 (10:00 AM CET)

or Session 2 (5:00 PM CET)