Rapid MR imaging of cryoprotectant permeation in an engineered dermal replacement

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a powerful technique for monitoring the permeation of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) inside tissues. However, the tec hniques published until now suffer from inherently long imaging times, limi ting the application of these techniques to slow diffusion processes and la rge CPA concentrations. In this study, we present a rapid MR imaging techni que based on a CHESS-FLASH scheme combined with Keyhole image acquisition. This technique can image the fast permeation of Me2SO solutions into freeze -dried artificial dermal replacements for concentrations down to 10% v/v. S pecial attention is given to evaluating the technique for quantitative anal ysis. (C) 2000 Academic Press.