# Console Replacement and Upgrade of 9.4 Tesla Animal Instrument

> **NIH NIH S10** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2022 · $1,328,035

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 The aim of this proposal is to replace the currently dysfunctional, unsupported, and discontinued Varian
“console” (i.e., all RF, gradient, and digital electronics) on a unique 9.4 Tesla/31 cm bore Instrument dedicated
to small to medium size animal model studies at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR). Due
to Varian being taken over by Agilent Technologies in 2010 and the termination of the magnetic resonance
businesses/service by Agilent Technologies three years later, this console is no longer supported. This 9.4
Tesla (T) NMR instrument is the world’s first horizontal bore scanner established for animal model studies at
such a high magnetic field at a time when animal scanners operated at ≤ 4.7T. It has been the most productive
instrument at CMRR, resulting in a large number of new technologies and important publications. Many animal
imaging projects funded by eleven active NIH grants continue to rely on this instrument. A console replacement
is urgently needed in order to avoid jeopardizing the success of these projects, and support future animal
model based research in the highly productive environment of the CMRR.
 CMRR’s 9.4T/31 cm bore system has always played a crucial role in a large number of projects on animal
models conducted within our past Biotechnology Research Center P41 and P30 grants. It is still slated for a
critical role in our recently funded BTRC P41 EB02706, and in numerous present and past R01 and U01 grants
from the NIH. However, the instrument, which we have been able to maintain until recently, is currently
dysfunctional for proton imaging studies, and has also reached limits of its viability for other multinuclear
applications.
 The termination of Varian as company and subsequent cessation of all MR support for Varian consoles and
systems by Agilent Technologies left all Varian users, including us, in a very difficult and in the long-term an
untenable position. As problems and failures emerged and accumulated on the instrument, several remained
unresolved as Varian engineers were laid off, spare parts disappeared, and a commitment and the ability to fix
these problems in Agilent and associated vendors vanished. Already many Varian users migrated to the
consoles provided mainly by Bruker. Our 9.4 Tesla instrument has reached a critical point where a similar
console replacement is now needed to continue the productivity that has marked the history of this animal
model MR scanner.
 Therefore, US$1,328,035 funding is sought in this HEI grant for replacing the outdated 9.4T console, with
an integrated and fully supported console from Bruker.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10414184
- **Project number:** 1S10OD032192-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Wei Chen
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,328,035
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2025-09-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10414184

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10414184, Console Replacement and Upgrade of 9.4 Tesla Animal Instrument (1S10OD032192-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10414184. Licensed CC0.

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