9.4 T small animal MRI using clinical components for direct translational studies

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Translational Research

Background:

• Magnetic resonance (MR) is a key imaging technique for preclinical and clinical research, particularly for longitudinal studies in drug development.
• A significant challenge in translational research is the lack of a unified platform for maintaining identical imaging protocols between animal and human studies.
• This study addresses this gap by developing an animal MR scanner integrated with clinical systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a preclinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) platform that utilizes clinical hardware and software.
• To ensure identical imaging protocol execution between preclinical and clinical MR systems for enhanced translational research.
• To facilitate the seamless transfer of imaging protocols from animal models to human clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Integration of a small animal magnet and gradient system with a clinical MR system.
• Modification and in-house construction of hardware components to ensure system compatibility.
• Adaptation of clinical MR software to accommodate the unique field-of-view of a preclinical system.
• Evaluation of the animal scanner using standard clinical quality assurance (QA) protocols and verification of cross-platform compatibility.

Main Results:

• The developed animal MR scanner successfully operates with most standard clinical imaging sequences.
• The system facilitates translational research by enabling direct sharing of imaging protocols between preclinical and clinical platforms.
• Maximum similarity in pulse sequences between human and animal systems is achieved when protocol parameters are maintained.

Conclusions:

• Coupling a small animal magnet with a clinical MR system offers a flexible and user-friendly approach to advancing translational imaging.
• This integrated system provides a cost- and labor-efficient solution for translational research, eliminating the need for complex sequence reprogramming.
• Cross-platform compatibility of imaging sequences supports multi-center studies and accelerates the translation of research findings.