Application of RF microcoils to the analysis of single cells via MR microscopy

Magnetic resonance technologies have been used extensively in biological and clinical disciplines because of the diversity of inherent contrast mechanisms and the nondestructive nature of the technique. Recent advancements in radio frequency microcoils have been utilized successfully in the examination of mass-limited chemical samples. These improvements also hold great potential in the study of volume limited biological samples, namely single cells and embryos. This presentation investigates the application of these microcoils to such samples. In particular, the sensitivity benefits afforded by these coils have permitted the acquisition of highly resolved microimages, localized spectroscopy and compartmental diffusion data on single frog oocytes and isolated single neurons.