Detection of anisotropic pulsating flow and its velocity-fluctuation rate in fertilized bird eggs by NMR microimaging

Coherent and incoherent flows in fertilized quail and bantam eggs have been studied with the aid of NMR microimaging techniques in the course of incubation until the end of the sixth day. The methods employed were multiplane tagging NMR imaging and a NMR gradient-echo imaging pulse sequence supplemented by bipolar gradient pulses in the coherence-evolution interval. The latter technique is suited for recording of velocity maps as well as for localizing of regions with enhanced echo attenuation by incoherent motions. Slight coherent displacements in the middle of the upper part of the egg white were found after the fourth day of incubation with the aid of both pulse schemes. The maximum velocity was estimated to be 1 mm/s. More pronounced effects revealed themselves in the examination of incoherent motions. After the same time of incubation and in a somewhat more restricted area of the upper part of the egg white, distinct motions could be localized consistently with either technique. It is shown that these motions are directed to and from the yolk. Furthermore, the analysis of the time fluctuations of the local signals with the aid of a Fourier transformation showed that the flow is largely of a pulsating nature. The pulsation frequency was found to be 0.4 Hz.