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3D Plastronics Culture Chambers and Benchtop MRI Setup Toward Tissue Engineering Applications
Valernst Martial Gilmus1, Yilbert Gimenez1,2, Tony Gerges1
1Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSA Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, Ampère, UMR5005, Villeurbanne, France.
NMR in Biomedicine
|March 30, 2026
Summary
A new 3D Plastronics method integrates radiofrequency coils with culture chambers for low-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This approach significantly boosts signal-to-noise ratio for non-invasive imaging of biofabricated tissues in tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
- Materials Science
Background:
- Low-field benchtop MRI offers accessible, non-invasive imaging for biofabricated tissues.
- Existing systems face limitations due to low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and non-optimized hardware.
- In situ imaging of 3D bioprinted constructs requires advanced solutions for detailed structural analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel, integrated benchtop MRI setup for enhanced in situ imaging of 3D bioprinted constructs.
- To compare the performance of a custom-integrated radiofrequency (RF) coil system with a commercial setup.
- To demonstrate the capability for high-resolution, long-term monitoring of engineered tissues.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a custom perfusion culture chamber using 3D Plastronics, integrating a bridged loop-gap resonator (BLGR).
- Quantitative performance comparison using quality factor (Q), noise factor (F), SNR, and B1+ field mapping.
- High-resolution imaging of a 3D bioprinted hydrogel scaffold under perfusion.
Main Results:
- The 3D Plastronics integrated setup achieved a 60% increase in SNR compared to a commercial coil.
- Optimized coil design resulted in higher mean B1+ field strength and improved homogeneity.
- High-resolution (234 μm³) images clearly visualized the internal macroporous structure of the bioprinted scaffold within 20 minutes.
Conclusions:
- Integrating RF coils directly onto culture chambers via 3D Plastronics significantly enhances low-field MRI performance for tissue engineering.
- This scalable and customizable platform enables non-destructive, long-term monitoring of 3D tissue constructs.
- The developed method opens new avenues for in situ studies of tissue development and biofabrication processes.
