The Preclinical MRI Core at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center offers instrumentation and expertise for a broad range of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy applications for small animals, excised tissue, and cell culture studies.
About Our Standard Lab Applications
We run MR spectroscopy or imaging experiments on an hourly fee basis for BIDMC colleagues and outside investigators. We will be happy to discuss how MR imaging can be used to further your research goals.
Standard applications of the lab include anatomic, T1, T2, diffusion, and perfusion studies. In addition, global and localized spectroscopy experiments are available for either proton applications. Cultured tissue, excised organs, and in vivo model systems are utilized in the following ongoing studies:
- In Vivo Imaging: Anatomic in vivo imaging is routine in the head, thorax, and abdomen.
- Angiography: Angiographic images can also be obtained with flow-compensated gradient echo imaging.
- Calculated Parameter Images: In some circumstances, calculated parameter images are desired.
- Arterial Spin Labeling: Perfusion-weighted imaging via arterial spin labeling is also available.
- Cultured Tissue: Small (approximately 2 mm) cartilage samples can be imaged with isotropic 50 micron resolution
- Isolated Organs: Isolated organs can be imaged in 3D to demonstrate the internal anatomic structures which are difficult to view with 2D histologic slides.
- In Vivo Mouse Cardiac Imaging: Mouse cardiac imaging can be done on a vertical bore 8.5Tesla MRI system or a horizontal bore 4.7Tesla system. Due to the ease of positioning and the lower respiratory motion on the horizontal system, we currently are pursuing most of the cardiac imaging on the 4.7T instrument.
Cardiac images can be obtained in both systole and diastole. The myocardium in each section can be identified and planimetry is used to determine the volume of myocardium in each slice. The specific gravity of myocardium was used to convert volume to mass. Ejection fractions can be computed from diastolic and systolic images. Images can be obtained throughout the cardiac cycle to produce cine loops of cardiac motion.
Request a Scheduling Slot
Please email Aaron Grant, PhD, with the following information:
- Date needed
- Start and end times
- Desired protocol
- # samples/animals
Core Director
Aaron K. Grant, PhD
P: 617-667-3265
F: 617-667-7917
Assistant Director
Gopal Varma, PhD
P: 617-667-0281