Skip to main content

High throughput quantitative ex vivo MRI of the mouse brain

Creating a holder design for mouse brains under MRI that prevents loss of orientation and prevents bubble formation

Design Award

  • Design Excellence Award Honorable Mention

Project Overview

Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanners are machines that are often used to produce high-resolution images of organic tissue such as brain tissue. Dr. JP Yu uses MR scanning to learn more about the human brain by researching murine brain samples and translating how his findings compare. The current techniques used to conduct this research are relatively crude, requiring extended time, and unnecessary expenses and risks. This process includes mouse and rat brains being inserted into modified syringes and can take days to scan a large number of samples, not including post-processing time, as well as thousands of dollars per year on MRI scans. The client uses fluorinert, an expensive inert fluid, to improve image quality. This necessary substance is currently unavailable on the market, which poses another concern. The client wishes to reduce the time spent loading samples and post-processing, and seeks an efficient and reproducible loading system that is air-tight, improves imaging quality and accuracy, conserves fluorinert, and requires fewer resources. The team proposes two capsules: one with holes for rat brains, and one with holes for mouse brains. These holes will be sealed with a custom-sized cap featuring a rubber o-ring. Once fabrication is complete, the team will test for leaks, the presence of air bubbles, and the image quality of the scan.

Team Picture

First Day Team Picture. Pictured left to right: Joel Nitz, Erwin Cruz, Mustafa Al-Sakhbouri, James Barlow, Anna Mercord
First Day Team Picture. Pictured left to right: Joel Nitz, Erwin Cruz, Mustafa Al-Sakhbouri, James Barlow, Anna Mercord

Files

Contact Information

Team Members

  • Joel Nitz - Team Leader
  • Erwin Cruz - Communicator
  • Anna Mercord - BSAC
  • Mustafa Al Sakhbouri - BWIG & BPAG
  • Markayle Schears

Advisor and Client

  • Prof. John Puccinelli - Advisor
  • Dr. Melissa Kinney - Advisor
  • Dr. JP Yu - Client

Related Projects

Back to Top