High throughput quantitative ex vivo MRI of the mouse brain

Our team intends to design and make a device that holds murine brains in a space-efficient way to maximize scanning throughput, while also keeping tight orientations.

Project Overview

Dr. JP Yu’s lab currently takes Magnetic Resonance (MR) scans of murine brains by loading the samples into modified syringes. This method of imaging involves individually loading and processing each model separately which is inefficient and expensive.
Our team plans to streamline the process by working with the client to create MR-compatible 3-D loading capsules for murine brains which will hold the samples in the correct alignment for a scan and be able to fit more samples per scan than their current procedure permits. The capsules will be more efficient, both in terms of cost as well as research throughput. It will allow for more reproducible scientific methodology, it will be reusable, and the design will ensure the capsule is airtight and resistant to chemicals used during the process.