A new device can more
accurately and precisely measure total body fat, lean tissue mass, free water
mass and total body water in piglets and may have future applications for human
pediatric use. Click the image for more information about
it.
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ARS Scientists Test MRI Device to Measure Body Fat in Piglets
By Sharon
Durham August 27, 2008
A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based device--more advanced
than the technology used today for body composition tests--can accurately and
precisely measure total body fat in piglets using the principles of
quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR), according to
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
scientists who evaluated the new technology.
The new device, called EchoMRI, was tested by ARS researchers to
measure not only total body fat, but lean tissue mass, free water mass and
total body water in piglets. The research was done under a grant from the
National Institutes of Health, which wants to
know if the new technology could have future applications for human pediatric
use.
Standard MRI systems are commonly used to scan and visualize tissue in
humans. However, when used for body composition analysis, imaging systems are
subject to substantial error rates caused by the interpretation of visual
images using software that relies on population averages.
EchoMRI uses a new type of QMR methodology to obtain body composition
results. Its measurement principle depends on the density of hydrogen nuclei
and the physical state of the tissue.
ARS animal scientist
Alva
Mitchell at the
Animal
Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., tested the
device, developed by Echo Medical
Systems, to determine EchoMRI's precision and accuracy in piglets as
compared to dual x-ray (DXA) technology and chemical analysis.
Twenty-five piglets, each weighing between 3.5 pounds and 8 pounds,
were screened live, anesthetized, and post-mortem, using a prototype EchoMRI
device for infants. The piglets were also scanned using DXA and then subjected
to chemical analysis.
After DXA scans, EchoMRI screenings, and chemical analyses were
completed, EchoMRI was found to be a precise and accurate method suitable for
measuring piglet whole body composition, total body fat, lean tissue mass, free
water mass, and total body water. While these studies were conducted on
piglets, EchoMRI may be transferable to market-weight pigs.
EchoMRI allows for measurements to be conducted in only a few minutes
without anesthesia or sedation, is radiation-free, and does not require the
subject to remain completely motionless. This facilitates convenient,
low-stress repeated tracking of small changes in body composition and can be
advantageous to researchers to optimize feed utilization. It could also help
researchers identify high-value hogs for breeding.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.