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Small Animal MRI: 9.4T Biospec

Core Facilities

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9.4 Tesla Biospec 94/30 USR MRI Scanner‌

Description: Small animal scanner, 30cm open bore

Manufacturer: Bruker Corporation

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Details

Please select a section for more details:

Capabilities

9.4 T Bruker BioSpec® 94/30 USR

Software Version

  Paravision 6.0.1

Hardware Version

  9.4 T Bruker Biospin (BioSpec® 94/30 USR)
 
The instrument is based on the AVANCE III HD MRI scanner architecture.

  Magnet B-C 94/30 USR Technical Details
    Field Strength: 9.4T
    Bore Diameter: 30cm
    Zero Helium boil-off technology: Yes

Gradient Coils

  System gradient/shim set B-GA20S HP
   
B-GA20S HP Gradient Specifications:
    Inner diameter: 200 mm
    Gradient Strength: 200 mT/m with 200 A
    Max. linear slew rate: 640 T/m/s with 200 A
    Duty cycle, max. simultaneous DC: 3 X 68A

    B-GA20S HP Shim Specifications:
    X, Y, Z: 800 Hz/cm

  Gradient/Shim Insert B-GA12S HP
   
B-GA12S HP Gradient Specifications:
    Inner diameter: 114 mm
    Gradient Strength: 440 mT/m with 200 A, 660 mT/m with 300 A
    Max. linear slew rate: 3,440 T/m/s with 200 A, 4,570 T/m/s with 300 A
    Duty cycle, max. simultaneous DC: 3 X 87A

    B-GA12S HP Shim Specifications:
    X, Y, Z: 1,800 Hz/cm with 200 A, 2,700Hz/cm with 300 A
    Z2: 2,460 Hz/cm2
    
XZ, YZ: 7,000 Hz/cm2
    
X2-Y2, 2XY: 3,300 Hz/cm2
    
Duty cycle, max. simultaneous DC: 24A

RF-System

  1H Transmit and Receive Channel

  The instrument is equipped with one transmit and one receive channel for 1H experiments supporting the following RF coil configurations:

  • Transmit and receive volume or surface coil
  • Combination of transmit volume coil with receive-only surface coil
  • Combination of transmit volume coil with receive-only array coil

  The scope of supply includes:

  • RF signal generation unit with fully digital frequency and waveform control
  • Receiver with integrated AD converter
  • 1H low noise preamplifier including transmit/receive switch and X-nuclei reject filter for all X-nuclei up to the 31P resonance frequency (max. power 4 kW)
  • Active detuning device for a maximum of 4 RF coils

  A fully equipped parallel broadband receiver configuration allows the application of parallel imaging methods. The upgrade comprises:

  • 3 additional receiver channels for a total of 4 channels
  • GRAPPA based parallel imaging reconstruction

  Broadband RF Channel w/o RF Amplifier
 
The instrument can be equipped with a broadband transmit and receive channel supporting ASL and X-nuclei signal detection with various schemes of 1H decoupling and NOE (e.g. WALTZ, MLEV). This broadband channel covers frequencies 1H, 19F, and X-nuclei with MR frequencies up to 31P.
The following applications are supported:

  • 1H arterial spin labeling (ASL) with a separate spin labeling coil
  • X-nuclei MRI/MRS with 1H decoupling
  • MRI/MRS with hyperpolarized nuclei (3He, 13C, 129Xe)

The scope of supply of the Broadband RF Channel includes:

  • One broadband low noise preamplifier for above mentioned X-nuclei including transmit/receive switch and integrated 1H reject filter
  • One 1H/19F low noise preamplifier including transmit/receive switch and integrated X-nuclei reject filter

 Types of Coils

  1. 1H/13C Rat Head / Mouse Body Volume Coil - 40 mm
  2. 112mmOD/ 86mm ID volume coil
  3. Multi-Purpose Planar Surface Coils – 20 mm and 30 mm
  4. Rat Brain Array Coil – 4 Channels
  5. Mouse Brain Array Coil – 4 Channels
  6. Arterial Spin Labeling Coil for Rats
  7. 1H MRI CryoProbeTM 2 Element Array Kit for Mice

QA/QC Phantoms

2 QA phantoms in difference sizes for 1H imaging

Contact

Template for NIH "Facilities and Other Resources"

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The University of Maryland houses the Core for Translational Research in Imaging @ Maryland (C-TRIM) which is operated by faculty associated with the Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR) within the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine.  Within the core, both animal and human imaging facilities are available. 

Core for Translational Research in Imaging @ Maryland (C-TRIM): The facilities of C-TRIM are located in two buildings.  One is located in Howard Hall 6th floor where the 7 Tesla Bruker small Animal MRI, Siemens Inveon microPET/CT, SPECT, Xenogen, MR guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS), fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging and wet lab for tissue processing are available.  The other location is in the basement of the new Health Sciences Research Facility III (HSFIII) building where a 9.4 Tesla Bruker system is available.  This location also hosts the human imaging arm of C-TRIM where a research dedicated 3.0 Tesla PRISMA FIT scanner and a state-of-the-art Siemens 3.0 Tesla mMR biograph system (combined PET/MR) are located. C-TRIM provides cross-sectional imaging services to various investigators on campus.

Animal MRI at C-TRIM: Currently the core houses a NCRR funded 7 Tesla 30 cm MRI scanner from Bruker Biospin that operates on Avance VI software system.  The location is also conveniently close to the animal imaging facilities. Two sets of gradient coils are available to facilitate optimal imaging of larger and smaller rodents operating at slew rates of 800 T/m/s with a peak gradient strength of 200 mT/m and the second one operating at a slew rate of 5000 T/m/s with a peak gradient of 400 mT/m respectively.  The scanner has multi-nuclear capabilities.  Parallel imaging is available with 4-receive and 4 transmit channels available with the system.  Several RF coils, including P-31, C-13 and Na-23 are available to fit the anatomy of various rodents. Two volumetric quadrature coils, 30mm and 40 mm diameter respectively are available to accommodate various size animals.  In addition, a 4 channel receive coil is available for optimal reception of signals regardless of the transmit coil used. A large animal body coil is also available to image with the larger diameter gradient. Physiology monitoring systems are available to monitor the animals along with the safe delivery of anesthesia.

Along with the 7.0 Tesla scanner, we recently acquired a 9.4 Tesla 30 cm system which is located in HSFIII.  This system also has two gradient coils to accommodate both large and small rodents.  For relatively large rodents, there is a 20 cm gradient coil operating at 640T/m/s with a peak gradient strength of 20mT/m.  The smaller bore gradient operates at a max slew rate of 3,440 T/ms with a peak gradient of 440 mT/m.  Similar coils as for the 7 Tesla are available and this system also has broadband capability.  In addition, the system is equipped with a 2 channel cryo-coil for mouse imaging. The system has the same capabilities as the 7.0 Tesla and more, including a cryocoil for mouse imaging.

Two SurgiVet MR-conditional animal anesthesia systems and an SA Instruments model 1030 gating and monitoring system for use with a clinical MR scanner are available for delivery of isoflurane anesthesia and to monitor physiological parameters (ECG, respiration, temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation).