M-Series Compact MRI

High Performance Preclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Imaging Gallery

Applications

Webinars

Features

System Overview

The M-Series™ systems are cryogen/cooling-free, self-shielded, high-performance MRI systems based on permanent magnet technology. The M-Series systems allow preclinical researchers, with or without in-depth knowledge of MR physics, to utilize the gold standard method in soft tissue imaging without the cost, complexity, and technical burden of superconducting MRI systems. Varying-sized models allow for imaging of mice, rats, similarly sized species/samples, as well as brains of non-human primates. Based on the permanent magnet technology, there are no special infrastructure requirements, operating and maintenance costs are minimal, and they can be easily integrated into existing lab space. These 1 Tesla systems are optimized for anatomical, functional, and molecular imaging applications in cancer, cardiac, neuroscience, and multimodal imaging. The optional SimPET insert can be integrated with the M-Series for simultaneous PET/MRI acquisition.

There are no special infrastructure requirements, operating and maintenance costs are minimal, and they can be easily integrated into existing lab space. These 1 Tesla systems are optimized for anatomical, functional, and molecular imaging applications in cancer, cardiac, neuroscience, and multimodal imaging.

The animal handling system ensures the stability of the animal throughout the imaging session with easy-to-use fully integrated anesthesia, heating, and physiological monitoring systems.

The optional SimPET insert can be integrated with the M-Series for simultaneous PET/MRI acquisition.

MR contrast agents further enhance the capabilities of this imaging modality, providing invaluable insights into tissue/tumor perfusion, myocardial infarction size, and molecular targets. Gadolinium and Iron-Oxide based contrast agents can be used with the M-Series product line. These systems are ideal for contrast agent imaging as it operates at 1 Tesla (T), which embodies an increased sensitivity to the effects of Gadolinium compared to higher-field MR systems.

Features & Benefits

The cost effective and compact M-Series magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems generate high-resolution 3D whole body, anatomical, functional and molecular images in small animals

Self-shielded permanent magnet

The M-Series systems are permanent magnets, as such they can be installed within an existing animal facility or laboratory space next to other equipment or furnishings.

The citing options are endless and costs to modify an existing space are minimal:

  • System is self-shielded, so no faraday cage or extra shielding is needed to protect the magnet from the surroundings or the surroundings from the magnet.
  • Permanent magnets do not generate heat to create the magnetic field, so no liquid (helium or water) cooling is needed, along with the additional equipment and space required for this
  • Only a single 220V plug is required, electricity is only required during imaging to power the fans, gradients, and other electronics.


Positioning of the system components (magnet and electronics) are quite flexible and can be up to 7 meters from one another.

Affordable purchase price for fully-equipped systems

MRI, the gold standard in soft tissue imaging, is more accessible for preclinical researchers.

Fully integrated physiological monitoring, heating, & anesthesia

Coils are self-tuned and matched, and the system performs calibrations automatically.

The M-Series systems provide a simplified workflow from animal preparation to image acquisition, without the need for time consuming system calibration and set-up steps to ensure optimization of the imaging subject with the coil and the rest of the system.

Real-time monitoring of the imaging subject ensures stability of the animal throughout the imaging session.

Image acquisition may be triggered off of either the respiratory or cardiac signals.

No electricity is required to maintain the magnetic field, so no heat dissipation (cryogens or water) is needed

As the M-Series systems utilize a permanent magnet the operating and maintenance costs are minimal:

  • No constant supply for electricity is required to maintain the magnetic field
  • No heat is generated to create the magnetic field, so no additional equipment or maintenance of that equipment is required (i.e. helium or water pumps and compressors)
  • There are minimal maintenance requirements on the M-Series. Simply a yearly preventative maintenance visit, but no daily, weekly, or monthly requirements by the user.
User-friendly software interface with numerous sequences

Preclinical researchers, without prior knowledge of MR physics, are able to utilize the optimized default sequences for some of the most common imaging applications. This allows high quality images to be reproducibly obtained of their specific animal models using the M-Series systems.

Minimal animal preparation steps

Imaging subjects must be still during acquisition, so animals should be lightly anesthetized. This can be done using the integrated anesthesia system. Once ready the imaging subject is placed into the animal handling platform and positioned within the coil.

No other preparation steps are required for standard imaging, making it possible to image a cohort of animals quickly, with no need for further manipulation of the imaging subject.

Hardware and software add-ons are available to allow for integration of other imaging modalities such as PET and bioluminescence

Multimodal imaging allow to combine the exquisite anatomical information of MRI with the sensitivity and specificity of Molecular and Metabolic imaging.

Models & Specifications

M3

Mice Only
  •  

M5

Mice, Rats & Other Small Animals
  •  

M7

Mice, Rats & Other Large Animals
  •  

M12

Non-human Primates
  •  

M-Series Preclinical MRI Specifications

Specifications
Front End
(Magnet Stand)

M3

M5

M7

M12
Dimensions
(Height x Width x Depth)
1080 x 734 x 734 mm
42.5 x 29 x 29 inches
1133 X 800 x 800 mm
44.6 x 31.5 x 31.5 inches
1320 x 790 x 950 mm
52 x 31 x 37.5 inches
1810 x 1450 x 1710 mm
71.26 x 57.09 x 67.32 inches
Weight
650 Kg / 1,430 lbs
950 Kg / 2,095 lbs
1,550 Kg / 3,415 lbs
5,500kg / 12,125lbs
Magnet Opening
Flange Insertion
Dimeter
Inner Bore
(Height x Width)

70 mm / 2.8 inches

50 x 130 mm / 2 x 5.1 inches

No insertion flange in M5
(the bore is open)
76 x 200 mm / 3 x 7.9 inches

97 mm / 3.8 inches

220 x 90 mm / 8.6 x 3.5 inches


184 x 260 mm / 7.2 x 10.2 inches
Imaging Volume
80 x 80 x 35 mm3 spheroid
90 x 90 x 60 mm3
spheroid
120 x 120 x 70 mm3
spheroid
120 x 130 x 130 mm3
ellipsoid
Bo (Tesla)
1T
1T
1T
1T
Back End
Electronics & Cabinet

M3

M5

M7

M12
Dimensions
1760 x 600 x 1150 mm
69.3 x 23.6 x 45.3 inches
1760 x 600 x 1150 mm
69.3 x 23.6 x 45.3 inches
1760 x 600 x 1150 mm
69.3 x 23.6 x 45.3 inches
1760 x 600 x 1150 mm
69.3 x 23.6 x 45.3 inches
Weight
300Kg / 660 lbs
300Kg / 660 lbs
300Kg / 660 lbs
300Kg / 660 lbs
Gradients M3 M5
M7 M12
Strength
440 (X, Y), 540 (Z) mT/m
430 (X, Y, Z) mT/m
150 (X, Y, Z) mT/m
150 (X, Y, Z) mT/m
Slew rate (T/m/s)
1750 T/m/s
1720 T/m/s
500 T/m/s
500 T/m/s
All Models
20-240 VAC, 15A, single phase in countries using 220-240V 208 VAC, 15A, single phase in countries using 120V
Pulse Sequences Procedures
  • Spin Echo (SE) 
  • Fast Spin Echo (FSE), 2D and 3D 
  • Gradient Echo (GRE), 2D and 3D 
  • Inversion Recovery modules for Gradient Echo, Spin Echo and FSE 
  • Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE)  
  • FSE with Dixon water/fat separation 
  • FSE with cardiac/respiratory trigger 
  • Gradient echo with cardiac/respiratory trigger 
  • Gradient echo cardiac Cine 
  • FSE Single-shot and segmented diffusion imaging 
  • Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) 
  • Magnetization Prepared - RApid Gradient Echo (MPRAGE) 
  • Magnetic Resonance Venography (MRV) 

 

Procedures are pulse sequences that are combined with dedicated post-processing routines.  

  • Water/fat separated images  
  • T1-mapping  
  • ADC (apparent diffusion coefficient)mapping  
  • Cardiac CINE images 

Animal Handling System

Fully integrated animal handling and coil system includes:

  • Beds that suite a variety of sized animals such as mouse, rat, and non-human primate
  • Anatomy specific coils to enhance signal to noise ration and image quality
  • Fully integrated anesthesia delivery and gas exhaust scavenging
  • Individually controlled, multi-point, isoflurane vaporizer
  • Continuous monitoring of ECG, heart rate, respiration rate, and body temperature
  • Allows for ECG and/or respiratory triggering
  • Heated water is continuously circulated to maintain body temperature

RF Coils

Type Inner Diameter Lenght
Mouse Head
23 mm
25 mm
Mouse Body
30 mm
50 mm
Mouse Whole Body
30 mm
80 mm
Rat Head
35 mm
40 mm
Rat Body
50/60 mm ellipsoid
90 mm
Large Rat Body
71 mm
90 mm
Non-human Primate
143 mm
120 mm

RF Coils

Accessories & Add-ons

The SimPET insert is a state-of-the-art, compact, insert with low power consumption and excellent PET detector stability that fits within the M7 MRI. The SimPET is based on advanced silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology for truly simultaneous PET/MR imaging, affording combined sensitive molecular and metabolic information with the high-resolution anatomical soft-tissue context for a wide range of applications in neurology, cardiovascular biology and oncology.

Play Video

M-Series Imaging Gallery

Anatomy & Morphology of mouse abdomen: T1- and T2- weighted scans of wildtype mouse body abdomen

Neurobiology of mouse brain: T2- weighted images of a mouse brain

Epilepsy in the rat brain: T2- weighted images of a rat brain 48 hours after induction of epilepsy

Tumor visualization in various cancer models: Fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging can be used to detect and quantitatively characterize the growth of a wide range of cancer models

Hindlimb tumor growth: Monitoring the growth of xenograft tumor grown in the mouse hindlimb is identified with T2-weighted images. Segmentation of tumor region of interests (in red) on each tumor-containing slice allows accurate volume quantification

Cardiac Cine loop images: Long axis view of a single slice of the heart was acquired with Cine loop images. Long axis images can be used for strain analysis in third party softwares

Ex Vivo Imaging: Ex vivo imaging can produce high-resolution images of the rat brain providing excellent delineation of brain regions

Multimodal Imaging: Multimodal imaging combines the strength of MRI with other imaging modalities such as PET and CT. PET provides information on the spatial distribution of molecular signal of interest. In this case MRI confirmed that the absence of tracer uptake in the center of the images was due to the presence of a necrotic core, which appears hyperintense on T2-weighted MRI

Applications

Past Webinars - M-Series

Publications & Articles