Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Electrolysis

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 8095
• Main Authors: Meir, Arie, Hjouj, Mohammad, Rubinsky, Liel, Rubinsky, Boris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09-02-2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 59/57; 631/1647/245/1628; 639/166/985; Agar; Cell death; E coli; Electrolysis; Experimental research; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hypotheses; Magnetic resonance imaging; multidisciplinary; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; pH effects; Physiology; Science
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep08095

This study explores the hypothesis that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can image the process of electrolysis by detecting pH fronts. The study has relevance to real time control of cell ablation with electrolysis. To investigate the hypothesis we compare the following MR imaging sequences: T1 weighted, T2 weighted and Proton Density (PD), with optical images acquired using pH-sensitive dyes embedded in a physiological saline agar solution phantom treated with electrolysis and discrete measurements with a pH microprobe. We further demonstrate the biological relevance of our work using a bacterial
E. Coli
model, grown on the phantom. The results demonstrate the ability of MRI to image electrolysis produced pH changes in a physiological saline phantom and show that these changes correlate with cell death in the
E. Coli
model grown on the phantom. The results are promising and invite further experimental research.