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Updated: Apr 26, 2026
MRM Microcoil Performance Calibration and Usage Demonstrated on Medicago truncatula Roots at 22 T
Published on: January 16, 2021
Phased-array of microcoils allows MR microscopy of ex vivo human skin samples at 9.4 T
K Göbel1, O G Gruschke, J Leupold
1Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a custom-made phased-array microcoil within a 400 MHz animal system for the morphological characterization of human skin tissue in correlation with histopathology.
Materials And Methods:
A dedicated 7-channel microcoil-based MR detector arranged in a phased-array geometry was developed to combine the advantages of both a large field of view and a high signal-to-noise ratio. Standard gradient echo sequences were adapted for the characterization of skin morphology ex vivo.
Results:
In this study, the feasibility of using this type of microdetector, combined with specially manufactured sample holders, to achieve high-resolution MR images of fresh and formalin-fixed, normal and hidradenitis suppurativa diseased skin was successfully demonstrated. The setup presented in this work allows reliable acquisitions of high-resolution images with in-plane resolution up to 25 × 25 microm², and 100 microm in the orthogonal direction, thereby allowing the differentiation of typical layers of the skin, sebaceous glands and hair follicle.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates that MR microscopy on skin biopsies can be applied at low cost on a standard animal MR imaging system. The successful imaging of different skin structures ex vivo is a prerequisite for non-invasive, in vivo application of skin MR microscopy for accurate complementary disease diagnosis in dermatology.
