Short Description
The EchoMRI scanner is a quantitative magnetic resonance scanner for the analysis of body composition of small animals (< 500 g). It allows non-invasive measurement of fat mass, wet lean mass, and water content of live animals with no need for anesthesia.
Contact Person
Ivan Maggini
Research Services
The EchoMRI scanner is available for external users. Please contact us for details (see contact data below).
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
The animal is placed inside a Plexiglas tube (size depending on the size of the animal). The tube is inserted into the scanner and the measurement is started. The duration of the measurement is between 25-35 seconds to measure fat and lean mass, 60-70 seconds if including the water stage. There is a possibility of repeated measurements, and 40 seconds recovery time need to be allowed between measurements. At the end of the measurement, the animal is removed from the tube. No particular expertise is required to use the EchoMRI, except for animal handling.