Animal Imaging Service—Simultaneous MR-PET

CD BioSciences' animal imaging technology platform has multiple state-of-the-art instruments to study cardiovascular function, skeletal morphology, metabolism, and more by performing ultrasound and computed tomography imaging on live animals. Our Simultaneous MR-PET-based animal imaging service is the right choice for you.

Name of the Instrument/Platform

Simultaneous MR-PET

Introduction

Biograph mMR technical specifications
1. 3 Tesla with 60cm bore diameter, short bore and high homogeneity
2. TrueForm magnet design, producing a cylindrically optimised homogeneity volume that results in better image quality by reducing unusable edges in the images, as well as better fat saturation for the whole area covered in the scan.
3. MR gradient system
4. Actively shielded whole-body gradient coil system
5. Extremely low eddy currents
6. Gradient coil length 159 cm, optimised for gradient linearity
7. Excellent spatial and temporal resolution
8. Patient-specific shimming
9. Active shim via 3 linear channels with 20 coils
10. Combined with 5 additional non-linear second order channels with 32 coils for advanced high order shim
11. Maximum acoustic noise level is 118 dB(A)
12. PET detectors
13. Crystal material-LSO
14. Crystal elements per block-64
15. Total detector blocks-448
16. Total number of crystal elements-28,672
17. Image planes-127
18. PET offline reconstruction
19. Prov

Feature Highlights

1. Allows for concurrent acquisition of morphology, function, and metabolism
2. Non-invasive imaging of large animals
3. Almost 40% better sensitivity than PET-CT-no XRay irradiation
4. Industry-leading MR image quality for off-centre imaging, fat saturation and spectroscopy
5. Improved imaging outcomes with high definition-PET, giving benchmark PET image quality using measured Point Spread Functions, producing images with improved uniformity, higher resolution and more contrast
6. MBI has a strong collaboration arrangement with Siemens, which provides us with access to the latest imaging sequences

Applications

1. Neuroimaging-fMRI, TMS, EEG, metabolism, degenerative disease, clinical and research PET tracers, quantitative susceptibility mapping
2. Cardiac studies-metabolic PET, blood flow and vasculature studies, cardiac measurements and dynamic studies
3. Structural MRI-T1, T2 and proton density weighted imaging
4. Water mapping
5. Structural MRI-T1, T2 and proton density weighted imaging
6. Soft tissue-oncology and organ imaging

Technical Capabilities

1. Full body anatomical MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning
2. Neural functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and PET scanning
3. Cardiac MRI and PET
4. ZOOMit parallel transmit technology

Important Notes

Compatible equipment
1. Biograph mMR Application Suites including: Neuro, Angio, Cardiac, Body, Onco, Breast, Ortho, Pediatric and Scientific
2. Nonin fibre-optic MRI-compatible pulse oximeter
3. Auxiliary sensors:
1) Respiration belt
2) Galvanic skin response
3) Electrocardiogram (ECG)
4) Electromyography (EMG)
4. 32" BOLDScreen for stimuli presentation
5. Animal anaesthesia and monitoring
Radiochemistry
1. Our radiochemistry facilities support large animal PET research and include:
1) a hot cell with a ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generator, radioHPLC and radioTLC analytical instruments
2) access to ^99mTc, ⁶⁴Cu, ¹⁷⁷Lu and ⁸⁹Zr radionuclides as well as commercially available radiotracers
3) radiolabelling of peptides and antibodies with radiometals
4) advice with designing radiotracers for imaging and radiotherapy

Summary

Monash Biomedical Imaging operates Victoria's only research-dedicated Siemens Biograph mMR scanner, which is capable of simultaneous magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
This scanner is located at our Clayton site and is suitable for clinical and preclinical (large animal only) studies.

If you need to perform imaging studies on animals such as mice, please contact us directly for details.

For research use only, not intended for any clinical use.

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