Steven Reynolds1, Joanne Bluff2, Samira Kazan2, Michael Port3, Emily Wholey2, Gillian Tozer2, Martyn Paley1
1Academic Unit of Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom; 2Tumour microcirculation group, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; 3Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Dose limitations required for animal well-being restrict the quantity of hyperpolarised substrate that may be administered. Physical constraints for an animal in a MRI scanner can require a long length of cannula for delivery of substrate into the animal, resulting in a significant dead volume. Typically, saline occupies the dead volume of the cannula that constitutes part of the dose but does not contribute to the signal. We have developed an automated flow diverter, which permits the dead volume to be cleared to waste before the desired substrate is injected. We show a significant increase in 13C signal as a result of injecting only hyperpolarised substrate.
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