7T Translational MRI System

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We seek funding for a 7 Tesla translational MRI unit: a small animal system (7T / 30cm) with a clinical console. This off-the-shelf device will allow many users to translate between human and animal imaging by providing the same interface for both. The system is provided by Siemens Medical Solutions and Bruker, and matches the computers, RF system, and user interface of the human equipment currently in use at our center. The proposed system will have many additional features that make it a state-of-the-art instrument, including 32 RF receiver channels, multiple advanced pulse sequences, tailored RF coils for rodent imaging, and strong gradient performance. The system was designed from the ground up to marry the existing "SynGo" clinical console with an animal magnet. This application is led by the A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. We seek funding to (1) allow our many human users to use their imaging skills in animal models, and also (2) to allow the extensive technical work carried out for the human instruments to be made available to animal researchers, as well as expand the instrumentation available to researchers. We seek this instrumentation to allow the insights and developments carried out on animal systems to be rapidly translated to human use. At our center currently we have 237 trained and certified users of the human systems and 36 trained and certified users of the animal systems performing imaging on two animal and four human MRI systems, and more interaction between groups and investigators would greatly speed our funded research. We list 24 funded projects in support of this additional instrumentation.