Use of a fluorinated polymer as a contrast agent in solid state 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scaffold comprising said polymer and use thereof

The present invention relates to the use of a fluorinated polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg), preferably as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, below 40 °C as a contrast agent in 19 F magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) of a solid object, said solid object comprising said contrast agent. Moreover, the invention relates to a solid object, preferably a scaffold suitable for tissue engineering, comprising a structural component and an imaging component, wherein the imaging component is at least one fluorinated polymer. In addition, the invention relates to a method for 19 F magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) in solid state using a contrast agent comprising a fluorinated polymer as well as a method for in vivo visualizing a scaffold, comprising the steps of: providing a solid object, surgically inserting said solid object in a mammalian body; and visualizing said solid object, using 19 F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for in vivo monitoring the degradation of a solid object in time, wherein the degradation is monitored in time by using 19 F magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) to visualize the solid object, and wherein the amount of degradation of the solid object is determined based on the decrease in the visibility of the amount of 19 F.