One micrometer resolution NMR microscopy

We obtained a magnetic resonance image of 1 mum resolution and 75 mum(3) vo xel volume for a phantom filled with hydrocarbon oil within an hour at 14.1 T. For this work, a specially designed probe with a high sensitivity RF co il and gradient coils generating over 1000 G/cm was built. The optimal puls e sequence was analyzed in consideration of the bandwidth, diffusion coeffi cients, and T-1 and T-2 relaxations of the medium. The system was applied t o the in vivo imaging of a geranium leaf stem to get the images of 2 mum re solution and 200 mum(3) voxel volume. (C) 2001 Academic Press.