Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) could complement qualitative MRI analysis by providing quantitative diagnostic information standardized across patients. However, it is difficult to determine how microscopic tissue properties affect MR signal. A microscopy- and MRI-compatible bioreactor was filled with different concentrations of fluorescent beads in gel to explore this relationship. Higher bead count was associated with lower ADC. A 59% ADC decrease was observed at 100 beads/mm3 when varying gradient pulse separation from 16 to 20 ms, illustrating sensitivity to different length scales per the Einstein-Smoluchowski relationship. This work is a step towards validating qMRI with fluorescence microscopy.
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