Using the echoMRI


Before you start

  • Make sure the instrument and computer are turned on
  • Open the software if its not already open
  • Create a new folder for your experiment in the format YYMMDD-<NAMEOFSTUDY>
  • Make sure the mouse antenna is connected if you are doing mice, or its taken off if you are doing rats
  • Change the selector to Mice or Rats as appropriate
  • Change the water stage to No (unless you need free water determination)
  • Place the canola oil tube in and click System Test. This should take 3-4 minutes.

Each Sample

  • Weigh the animal and record the weight and animal id.
  • Gently place the mouse/rat in the appropriate sized tube and using the plunger compress it at the end. The animal should be snug but not so tight that it is hurt. If the animal is moving then he is probably not snug enough.
  • Select Start Measurement or hit F5 and enter the mouse ID, weight and any comments then hit run
  • If you have a lot of animals, then load up the next tube while the first one is being run.
  • If you mis-label an animal then click on Review then Post-Scan Comments

Exporting Data

  • Select all your measurements (CTRL-A or shift and point)
  • Go to export table and export it by going to Review then Extract Table. Change the filename if needed
  • Copy the entire folder to a USB stick for analysis including the root folder. Inside that will be a folder with the extracted tables.