Service

The MR Group participates in large research infrastructures Czech-BioImaging and Euro-BioImaging by offering open access to about 50% of its work capacity

This duality is essential for the sustainability of high quality of service and research - the applications stimulate research in biomedically relevant directions and provide immediate feedback, and the users get highly qualified and motivated support. Thus, the projects are partly method- and partly application-oriented.The 7-year experience of operating in this dual mode confirms its practical utility.

With state-of-the-art equipment (9.4T small animal MR scanner and a supporting animal facility), we provide access to a wide range of established and own MR techniques (measurement of perfusion, diffusion, relaxation, spectroscopy) and animal models (mouse, rat, rabbit) to support their research in (patho)physiology, testing therapies or developing theranostic approaches for precision medicine. This also involves complex support for project preparation, experiment design, evaluation and interpretation. To some extent, the group also supports translation of its know-how to human medicine.

Expertise

In vitro and in vivo MR measurements – materials, rat, mouse, rabbit. Qualitative and quantitative MR imaging (T1-, T2-, T2*-weighted, 2D, 3D, multislice by FLASH, RARE, MGE, UTE, quantitative relaxometry, quantitative imaging of diffusion - DWI, DTI, DKI, perfusion – DCE, DSC, ASL).

Assistance with animal use protocol preparation, correct and legal execution of the experiment. Veterinary care and supervision during the measurement. Sample collection.

Access rules

The service of the facility can be accessed:

Via Czech-BioImaging hub, to which a brief project description is to be submitted; this service is financially supported by project LM2015062 “National Infrastructure for Biological and Medical Imaging (Czech-BioImaging)” of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, which is to be acknowledged in all publications using data provided by this facility.
By contacting the facility directly and filling a study description form (and for testing uncertified materials in vivo also a materials form), based on collaboration agreement or as contractual research service, conditions will be set individually.

Equipment

MR scanner 9.4 T / 30 cm
console, magnet, electronics	Bruker Biospec 94/30 USR, Avance III
RF shielded room		Faraday cage room
high power gradient system		gradients 300 mT/m (sample diam. < 154 mm), 660 mT/m (s. d. < 60 mm)
RF coils
RF coil 1H 198/154mm CP TR AD	RF RES 400 1H 198/154 QSN TR AD
RF coil 1H 112/86mm CP TR AD	RF RES 400 1H 112/086 QSN TO AD
RF coil 1H 89/60mm CP TR	RF RES 400 1H 089/060 QSN TR
RF coil 1H 75/40mm CP TR (rat head, mouse body)	RF RES 400 1H 075/040 QSN TR
RF coil 1H surface CP R AD (mouse brain)	RF SUC 400 1H M.BR. QSN RO AD
RF coil 1H maticová 2x2 L R AD (mouse brain)	RF ARR 400 1H M.BR. LIN RO AD
RF coil 1H surface CP R (rat mozek)	RF SUC 400 1H R.BR. QSN RO AD
RF coil 1H array 2x2 L R AD (rat brain)	RF ARR 400 1H R.BR LIN RO AD
RF coil 1H planar surface 10mm L R AD	RF SUC 400 1H ID=10 LNA
RF coil 1H planar surface 20mm L R AD	RF SUC 400 1H ID=20 LNA
RF coil 1H planar surface 30mm L R AD	RF SUC 400 1H ID=30 LNA
RF coil 1H/13C 75/40mm LL TR (rat head, mouse body)	RF RES 400 1H/13C 075/040 LIN/LIN TR
RF coil 1H/19F 75/40mm LL TR (rat head, mouse body)	RF RES 400 1H/19F 075/040 LIN/LIN TR
RF coil 1H/23Na 75/40mm LL TR (rat head, mouse body)	RF RES 400 1H/23Na 075/040 LIN/LIN TR
RF coil 1H/31P 75/40mm LL TR (rat head, mouse body)	RF RES 400 1H/31P 075/040 LIN/LIN TR
RF coil 1H/129Xe 75/40mm LL TR (rat head, mouse body)	RF RES 400 1H/129Xe 075/040 LIN/LIN TR
RF coil 1H/13C surface 20mm LL TR	RF SUC 400 1H/13C ID=20 LIN/LIN TR SIM
RF coil 1H-19F surface 20mm L TR	RF SUC 400 1G-19F ID=20 LIN TR
RF coil 1H/23Na surface 20mm LL TR	RF SUC 400 1H/23Na ID=20 LIN/LIN TR SIM
RF coil 1H/129Xe surface 20mm LL TR	RF SUC 400 1H/129Xe ID=20 LIN/LIN TR SIM
RF coil 1H/31P surface 20mm LL TR	RF SUC 400 1H/31P ID=20 LIN/LIN TR SIM
Animal care
Physiology monitoring and gating	SA Instruments, Inc., model 1030	fibre-optics thermometer, ECG, respiration, capnography, ventilator
Syringe pump	Harvard Apparatus PHD 22/2000	remote-controlled precise power injector for contrast agent administration
Isoflurane anesthesia
Electronics
Network analyzer	Rohde & Schwarz ZVL3
Oscilloscope	Rohde & Schwarz RTM 2054
Animal facility
animal rooms	mouse room, rat room, service room	4 Pa overpressure, access via hygienic loop from the technical room, autoclave, sterile chamber, UV sterilization, HEPA filtering, A/C
equipment	individually ventilated cages, laminar flow box
technical rooms	washing room, storage	< 4 Pa overpressure, limited access, HEPA filtering, A/C
experiment preparation room	veterinary operating table, laminar flow box
deep freezer		for samples
fume hood		for biochemical work