Lightweight, Compact, Low-Cryogen, Head-Only 7T MRI for High Spatial Resolution Brain Imaging

项目概要/摘要 一种创新的仅用于头部的7 T MRI系统，可提供当今 全身7 T系统，并具有全身3 T扫描仪的占地面积和重量。这个新的IM- 老化系统结合了高性能的非对称头梯度，可提供130 mT/m和900 T/m/s 在主动屏蔽、低冷冻剂、仅限头部的轻质7 T磁铁中表现出色。多学科 来自通用电气全球研究中心、加州大学旧金山分校弗朗西斯科和马约诊所的一个小组将提供这一服务 独特的成像工具，以更好地了解和发现新的大脑过程。高梯度振幅和 高转换速率将用于开发脑微结构高空间分辨率成像应用， 真实，功能性脑激活，动脉和静脉血管，并分析脑代谢物，是关键的， 神经传递和大脑功能，特别是在大脑的区域，以前逃避重新。 由于分辨率和敏感度的限制，搜索器。所提出的仅头部7 T MR系统显著地 与其他超高场MRI系统相比，体积更小，重量轻70%。这使得高分辨率 大脑研究平台将安装在无法支持传统超高 场磁共振成像系统，提供了更多的访问这项技术，以增加知识的产生如何大脑 工程.

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT An innovative head-only 7T MRI system that delivers spatial resolution that is difficult to achieve with today's whole-body 7T systems, and has the footprint and weight of a whole-body 3T scanner is proposed. This new im- aging system combines a high-performance asymmetrical head gradient that delivers 130 mT/m and 900 T/m/s performance in an actively shielded, low-cryogen, lightweight head-only 7T magnet. The multi-disciplinary group from GE Global Research, the University of California-San Francisco, and the Mayo Clinic will deliver this unique imaging tool to better understand and discover new brain processes. The high gradient amplitude and high slew rate will be leveraged to develop applications for high spatial resolution imaging of brain microstruc- ture, functional brain activation, arterial and venous vasculature, and to profile brain metabolites that are criti- cal to neurotransmission and brain function, especially in regions of the brain that have previously eluded re- searchers due to resolution and susceptibility limitations. The proposed head-only 7T MR system is dramatically smaller and 70% lighter weight compared to other ultra-high field MRI systems. This enables a high-resolution brain research platform to be installed in locations that otherwise could not support a conventional ultra-high field MRI system, providing greater access to this technology to increase knowledge generation of how the brain works.