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Small Bore 7T Imaging

For preclinical imaging, we have a small-bore 7 T MRI. An introductory applications brochure has been prepared.

The 7T MRI lab houses an actively shielded Bruker BioSpec 70/30 USR 7T system with the Bruker AVANCE III HD architecture and Paravision 6 Software. This state-of-the-art scanner can reach a spatial resolution of 25 microns.

Available RF-probes include a 1H MRI Cryoprobe, and a 1H receive-only 8 x 1 rat head surface array coil.

Gradients available are:

BGA 20 (200 mT/m, ID 200 mm)
BGA 12 (400 mT/m, ID 120 mm)
BGA 9S (675mT/m, ID 90 mm)
BGA 6 (1000 mT/m, ID 60 mm)

(ID = maximum usable internal diameter)

Examples of methods which can be used on the 7T system include:

'Conventional' MR images based on T 1, T 2 or proton density, typically used to show anatomical detail;
Blood flow in arteries or veins (magnetic resonance angiography or MRA);
Blood perfusion through tissue, giving cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps;
Molecular diffusion of water through tissue such as white matter tracts (tractography and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI));
Relative degrees of bound and unbound water via magnetization transfer contrast (MTC);
Tissue movement, such as motion of the heart to yield measures of ejection fraction and myocardial wall motion;
Tissue temperature and intracellular pH measurements;
Oxygenation of blood to show areas of brain activated by stimuli - functional MRI (fMRI);
Changes in blood perfusion through tissues responding to pharmacological intervention (phMRI);
Cell tracking following the labelling of cells with magnetic nanoparticles.
Multi-nuclei spectroscopy and imaging is possible.