A compact respiratory-triggering device for routine microimaging of laboratory mice

A partial-body plethysmograph was developed for measuring the respiratory flow of anesthetized mice during routine microimaging experiments performed in the close confines of an 89-mm-diameter, vertical-bore magnet. Respiratory flow patterns were used for synchronizing conventional T2-weighted spin-echo imaging with the respiratory cycle, thereby, significantly reducing motion-induced artifacts and increasing observed liver lesion contrast.