It may be possible to improve visualization of the early embryo by injecting doses of contrast agents into the egg that do not harm the embryo. At later stages, we have shown that MRI can be used

noninvasively to measure the growth of the embryo in terms of both crown-rump length and volume. It is possible to measure growth of particular organs within the embryo [16]. Thus MRI could be useful for monitoring gross effects of exogenous agents injected into the egg on embryonic development over time. We have also shown that MRI reveals differences between albumen and other fluids in the egg and can even distinguish between amniotic and allantoic fluid. The temporal changes in the 1H longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation times of aqueous components within quail eggs are linked with changes in the concentration of soluble Seliciclib cost proteins selleck inhibitor and carbohydrates [17]. Finally, the imaging of the embryo developing within the intact egg gives a rare insight into the physical relationship between it and the other components in the egg. SD and CT gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society, respectively. The authors thank Dr. Marek Gierlinski (Data Analysis Group, College of Life Sciences) for helpful discussions. “
“Time-resolved magnetic resonance imaging

(MRI) of cardiac structure has become commonplace in human studies, and protocols are available from scanner manufacturers for use in clinical practice. Protocols typically include multiframe gradient-echo

or steady-state free precession “cine” scans in standardized cardiac planes from which indices such as below left ventricular (LV) volume, LV mass and ejection fraction can be evaluated. In recent years, the availability of rodent models of human disease has led to an increase in in vivo imaging studies of mice and rats. Small-animal MRI is at a less mature stage than human MRI, and recent effort has been concerned with the translation of imaging techniques from clinical systems to high-field, small-animal systems [1] and [2]. Phantoms are test devices which mimic some aspect of the behavior of tissues within the body and are used to provide test data sets for the purposes of development of new imaging techniques and for validation of measurements without need of human volunteers or experimental animals. In cardiac imaging, compensation of cardiac (and respiratory) motion, visualization of cardiac chamber motion and quantification of chamber volume are of interest. Human studies have used numerical phantoms [3], [4] and [5] and static phantoms [6]. Dynamic phantoms have involved change in the volume of a chamber where measurement of the cardiac chamber volume is of interest [7], [8] and [9] or change in the shape of a block of material such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) Cryogel where measurement of the strain in the myocardium is of interest [10] and [11].