Angle Sensitive MRI for Musculoskeletal Diagnostics

包括韧带和肌腱在内的组织在正常的磁共振成像(MRI)中通常产生很少的信号或根本没有信号。因此，它们通常显示为黑色，而任何明亮的区域都可能是人工制品或可能是疾病的迹象。在很大程度上正是这种异常导致了使用外科手术进行进一步的调查。帝国理工学院的研究人员开发了一种全新的核磁共振扫描仪，它提供了获得可能在临床上重要的新信息的可能性，并提供了诊断关节疾病或损伤的新方法，这些方法是非侵入性的和安全的，同时提供了其他方式无法轻易获得的信息。这种扫描仪比医院通常使用的扫描仪更便宜、更紧凑、更容易安装。在拟议的项目中，我们的目标是证明这种方法的可行性，并为进一步的医学研究提供所需的证据。我们将在实验室对现有的MRI原型进行升级，配备专业的电子设备和软件，使其适合临床使用。将对扫描仪硬件和图像处理软件进行各种详细的改进。成像研究将涉及使用幻影、我们实验室提供的具有代表性的动物组织样本，以及健康志愿者。将与医学专家合作分析核磁共振图像，以确定如何最好地利用新的核磁共振能力，并展示其临床价值。“

"Tissues including ligaments and tendons usually produce little or no signal in normal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Consequently they usually appear black, while any bright areas are possible artefacts or possible signs of disease. It is largely this anomaly that leads to further investigation using surgical procedures. Researchers at Imperial College have developed an entirely new type of MRI scanner, which offers the potential to obtain new information which may be important clinically and to provide new methods for diagnosing disease or injury in joints, which are non-invasive and safe, while providing information that cannot be easily obtained by other means. This scanner is also much cheaper, very compact and easier to install than those normally found in hospitals.In the proposed project we aim to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and to provide the evidence needed to facilitate further medical research. We will upgrade the existing prototype MRI in our laboratory with professional electronics and software so that it is suitable for clinical use. Various detailed improvements in the scanner hardware and image processing software will be carried out. Imaging studies will involve the use of phantoms, representative animal tissue samples available in our laboratories, as well as healthy volunteers. The MRI images will be analysed in collaboration with medical specialists in order to establish how best to use the new MRI capabilities and demonstrate its clinical value."