Development of a Revolutionary MRI System for Functional Brain Imaging

Project Summary Abstract It is the dream of researcherandapos s and clinicianandapos s to have available a low costportable MRI scanner for brain neuroimagingHoweversuch a low cost MRI system requires a small bore MRI magnetUnfortunatelyin the case of conventional MRI systemssmall bore magnets have a usable homogeneous magnetic field Diameter Spherical VolumeDSVthat is much smaller than the size of the human brainA new MRI approach is required to achieve the dream of a low cost portable MRI brain scannerThe general methodology used to obtain MR images today is essentially the same as that used approximatelyyears agoIn the NIH Brain Initiative funded project NIH RMHin which University of MinnesotaCMMRis the PIand Wang NMRYale University and Harvard University are key participantswe have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a revolutionary new MRI imaging method called STEREO which stands for STEering REsonance over the ObjectBy generating MRI imaging with spatiotemporal encodingSTEREO allows the Bo field to vary by amounts as large askHz orppm Bpk pkThereforeSTEREO for the first timemakes it possible for a much smaller bore MRI magnetwith an inherently less homogeneous magnet fieldto permit good MRI imagingIn additionit is possible to observe brain activity with zero echo time by using the SWIFT imaging techniqueUsing SWIFTit is possible to transmit FM pulses and simultaneous receive signals making MRI neuroimaging an extremely inhomogeneous magnet possibleThis SBIR proposal intends to exploit the unique imaging technologies demonstrated in our previous NIH funded project and to build a low costcommercially viable MRI system with a smalllight weightlbmagnet with a small bore as small ascm in diameter Xcm longdimensions that aretimes smaller than traditional neuroimaging MRI magnetsThe magnet will employ the lowest cost superconductor NbTiand will be conduction cooled be a small cryo coolerThere will be no nitrogen and helium required at allTherefore it can be operated in any country so long as there is electricityThe magnet will be combined with a newlow costdynamic multi coil gradient shimming system for Bo field modulation and with a low costlow powerWcompact simultaneous transmit and receive RF spectrometer systemSuccessful completion of this SBIR project will demonstrate a revolutionaryportablelow costcommercially viable MRI system for brain neuroimagingWe expect to see in the near future such brain imaging systems available for use everywhereand to permit the imaging of brain function in all populations and environments worldwide Narrative In this projecta revolutionaryT magnetic resonance imagingMRIsystem to image human brain activity is designedbuiltand fully testedThe imaging technology is a new type of MRI that works with a smalllightweightlbportable and low cost head only magnetThe compactness and efficiency of this imaging system makes the study of human brain possible outside the unnatural laboratory environment and in subjects who previously were excluded from getting an MRI scan