3D プリンタによるラットのヘッドポジショナーの作成と機能検証

抄録

A rat's head positioner created by a 3D printer for MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) is described in this paper. Its requirements specifications are revealed by many discussions and various preliminary experiments, and a novel new design of the rat's head positioner is realized by satisfying the requirements. The designed rat's head positioner is also manufactured by a 3D printer with using PLA (polylactic acid) resign. A MR imaging experiment is carried out by fixing a rat to it. Clear images can be obtained by suppressing a rat's head and breathing motions. The images of a rat's brain data can be also taken with the same angle as a brain atlas for the purpose of comparing and analyzing accurately. Validities of the developed rat's head positioner is demonstrated through the MR imaging experiment.