Conny F. Waschkies1,2, Fatma Kivrak Pfiffner3, Yinghua Tian1, Maurizio Calcagni3, Pietro Giovanoli3, Markus Rudin2, and Johanna Buschmann3
1Division of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 2Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 3Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
MRI has been presented as a
nondestructive in vivo readout to
report perfusion capacity in biomaterials planted on the CAM in the living
chick embryo in ovo. Perfusion capacity was assessed through
changes in T1 relaxation pre and post injection of a paramagnetic contrast
agent, Gd-DOTA (Dotarem®, Guerbet S.A.). Hence local contrast agent
concentration was dependent on perfusion, vascular permeability and
extravascular compartment size.
In the present study we explore intravascular SPIO particles of 30-40 nm size (FeraSpin
series M, Viscoverâ„¢, Miltenyi Biotec, Germany) that stay in the vasculature to
deliver a more direct measure of vascularization.