Sep 08, 2025

Public workspaceREVA #3: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Embalmed Cadaver

DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.6qpvrw9ezlmk/v1
REVA #3: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Embalmed Cadaver
  • Daniel A Herzka1,
  • Michael Markley2,
  • Noa B Nuzov3,
  • Goksel Sali1,
  • Shruti Kumari1,
  • Nicole A Pelot4,
  • Andrew J. Shoffstall3,5,
  • Chris Flask1,
  • Andrew R. Crofton6,7,
  • Ari Blitz1
  • 1Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA, 44106;
  • 2University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106;
  • 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA, 44106;
  • 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA, 27708;
  • 5APT Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH;
  • 6Department of Anatomy, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH;
  • 7Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
  • Daniel A Herzka: ORCID: 0000-0002-9400-7814;
  • Noa B Nuzov: ORCID: 0000-0001-8187-2115;
  • Goksel Sali: ORCID: 0009-0009-1638-8509;
  • Shruti Kumari: ORCID: 0000-0002-3077-1982;
  • Nicole A Pelot: ORCID: 0000-0003-2844-0190;
  • Andrew J. Shoffstall: ORCID: 0000-0002-0881-2180;
  • Andrew R. Crofton: ORCID: 0000-0002-1105-3971
Nicole A Pelot
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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.6qpvrw9ezlmk/v1
Protocol Citation: Daniel A Herzka, Michael Markley, Noa B Nuzov, Goksel Sali, Shruti Kumari, Nicole A Pelot, Andrew J. Shoffstall, Chris Flask, Andrew R. Crofton, Ari Blitz 2025. REVA #3: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Embalmed Cadaver. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.6qpvrw9ezlmk/v1
Manuscript citation:

License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: July 15, 2025
Last Modified: September 08, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 225834
Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, Human anatomy, Gross anatomy, Embalmed cadaver, embalmed cadaver this protocol, embalmed human cadaver, embalmed cadaver, human cadaver, mri, cadaver, magnetic resonance imaging, parameters for magnetic resonance imaging, imaging, reva, procedure
Funders Acknowledgements:
NIH SPARC REVA
Grant ID: 75N98022C00018
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Abstract
This protocol describes the procedures and parameters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of embalmed human cadavers.
Guidelines
N/A
Materials
1. MRI-safe gurney
2. 3 T MRI Scanner (MAGNETOM Vida, Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany)
3. Transfer board (Link)
a. Manufacturer: Allied Healthcare Products, sold on Medline. Name: XTRA Emergency Backboards.
4. MRI 20-channel head coil (Head/Neck 20 , Siemens Healthineers)
5. MRI 36-channel spine coil (Siemens Healthineers)
6. MRI 18-channel anterior body coils (x2) (Body Array, Siemens Healthineers)
7. Disinfectant wipes
Troubleshooting
Safety warnings
Personnel who will enter the MRI suite must be properly trained MR safety and approved by the local safety committee. Cadavers with significant metal implants (e.g., pacemakers, may not be optimal for this protocol due to potential image artifacts.

This protocol might include items and/or substances that may pose hazards (e.g., chemical, physical, biological, or otherwise) to your health upon use or exposure. Before engaging in the processes described in this protocol, familiarize yourself with and follow the safety data sheets, manufacturer safety recommendations, and local regulations.
Ethics statement
Be sure to seek approval for or an exemption from human subjects research from your local regulatory body(ies) as required by local and/or institutional regulations before initiating studies.

This study was determined to be exempt from IRB oversight by the Case Western Reserve University Institutional Review Board (IRB) because it involved de-identified cadaveric tissue and no protected health information was collected from the donors.
Before start
See the protocol for embalming and preparing a human cadaver for imaging (dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.kxygx4wm4l8j/v1), including placing it in a vacuum-sealed bag on a dissection cart for transport. On the day of the scan, before transporting the cadaver, ensure the vacuum seal bag is still tight and no air has entered the bag; if air has entered the vacuum seal bag, use an electric vacuum to remove it.
Section 1: Cadaver Placement in the MR Scanner
Move the cadaver (in a vacuum-sealed mattress bag) from the dissection cart used for transportation onto the MRI-safe gurney while outside the scan room. An MR-compatible patient transfer board can be used to facilitate transfer.
Place the cadaver on the MRI scanner table, positioning the head as far as possible inside of the head coil which should result in the shoulders coming in contact with the edge of the head coil.
The spine coil is already in place as it is built in with the table.
Place two (2) body coils over the chest and abdomen of the cadaver. Depending on the cadaver height, the rectangular coils can be placed with the longest edge in the left-right or head-foot direction as needed for coverage. Use straps to secure the coils to the table and minimize distance between coils and cadaver. The straps should also press the arms against the torso to minimize the required field of view during imaging. Coils should be abutted and there should be minimal overlap between coils. Ensure the cadaver is secured and that the arms are pressed against the torso.
Landmark the position of the cadaver using scanner controls using the nose as a point of reference.
Section 2: MRI Scan Session
Run a fast localizer scan spanning the entire volume to be imaged to visualize the general positioning of the cadaver. Reposition the cadaver as needed to straighten the spine and neck.
Run a higher resolution localizer, based on the HASTE sequence. Use the multi-station approach to ensure sufficient coverage from the top of the head to the pubic symphysis. Overlap each station by 15% to facilitate stitching of images from different stations into a single DICOM image with full coverage.
Run the Dixon-VIBE scan as defined in Table 1. Ensure inclusion of acromia for landmarking purposes.

ABCD
CISS Dixon-VIBE VIBE
Orientation Sagittal Axial Sagittal
Minimum TR 5.99 ms 10.00 ms 10.00 ms
TE 3.00 ms Echo 1: 2.46 ms Echo 2: 3.69 ms 2.46 ms
Flip angle 35 deg 10 deg 12 deg
FOVx 256 mm 405 mm 323 mm
FOVy* 256 mm 278 mm 212 mm
FOVz* 224 mm 145.6 mm 128 mm
Matrix (X, Y *) 512, 512 576, 396 640, 420
Number of slices 448 208 256
Oversampling in z 0.0% 15.4% 12.5%
Oversampling in y 0.0% 10% 10%
Elliptical scanning window on off on
Scan duration per station 35 min 57 sec 10 min 28 sec 14 min 23 sec
Number of stations** 4 7 3
Bandwidth 488 Hz/Px 430 Hz/Px 240 Hz/Px
Averages 1 1 1
Orientation sagittal axial sagittal
Image resolution (acquired and reconstructed voxel size)*** Acquired: 0.5 mm isotropic Reconstructed: 0.5 mm isotropic Acquired: 0.7 mm isotropic Reconstructed: 0.7 mm isotropic Acquired: 0.5 mm * 0.6 mm * 0.6 mm Reconstructed: 0.5 mm isotropic
Dimensionality (2D vs 3D) 3D 3D 3D
Table 1. MRI scan parameters.

* Adapted for full anterior-posterior coverage dependent on body habitus; resolution is fixed at 0.5 mm.
** Adapted depending on the height of the subject.
*** 6/8 partial Fourier under sampling in both slice and phase for Dixon-VIBE
Run the CISS scan as defined in Table 1.
Run the VIBE scan as defined in Table 1. Ensure the number of stations and fields of view are exactly matched to CISS scan.
Stitch the images from sequential stations from scans in Steps 8-10 into a single image using the vendor-provided stitching software.
Reformat all data (multiplanar reconstruction, MPR) to convert the sagittally acquired images into axial images.
Remove the cadaver from the scanner table to the MRI-compatible gurney using the transfer board.
Move the cadaver from the gurney to the dissection cart for removal from the MRI suite.
Use disinfectant wipes to clean the MR scanner table, control panels, and imaging coils.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the donors and staff of the Case Western Reserve University Anatomical Gift Program. Without the selfless donations of the donors and the tireless efforts of the staff of this program, the methods described in this protocol and the insights and advancements that result from studies conducted according to this protocol would not be possible.