“…The degree of ex vivo decomposition is determined by many factors, including the tissue type, post-mortem interval, temperature, and humidity ( Oka, 1920 ; Otto et al, 1981 ; Milroy, 1999 ; Tomita et al, 2004 ). Earlier studies investigating the time course of tissue decomposition from biochemical and morphological perspectives have revealed changes in macro- and microstructures ( Benda et al, 1957 ; Masshoff et al, 1964 ; Riede et al, 1976 ), glycogen concentration ( Popper and Wozasek, 1932 ; Hertz, 1933 ; Nunley et al, 1973 ; Calder and Geddes, 1990 ), pH level and fat content ( Shima, 1922 ; Sinapius, 1963 ; Donaldson and Lamont, 2013 ). In view of the structural and functional changes involved in the post-mortem degeneration process, serial characterization of the biophysical properties of ex vivo tissues by imaging with simultaneous histological validation could help us elucidate the link between imaging parameters and microscopic tissue structure.…”