Siemens Tim Trio 3T Whole Body MR Scanner

描述(由申请人提供)：3T西门子Allegra头部完全致力于研究的磁共振扫描仪目前在北卡罗来纳大学教堂山(UNC-CH)可用。该系统已被广泛使用，是北卡罗来纳大学唯一的人类磁共振研究扫描仪。虽然大多数研究人员对该系统提供的能力和图像质量感到满意，但人们越来越担心该系统的局限性和前景。这些担忧源于以下原因。首先，虽然西门子继续支持我们的系统，但公开的信息是，西门子不会投入额外的努力来进一步改进Allegra系统的软件或硬件。相反，西门子的主要关注点是全身磁共振扫描仪。因此，鉴于磁共振技术的快速进步，我们目前系统的能力很快就会过时。其次，该系统在并行成像能力方面有一个主要的硬件限制，这是最近MR技术中最主要的改进之一，能够在保持图像质量的同时缩短数据采集时间。这一限制源于该系统最多只能配备8个接收器，难以充分发挥并行成像技术的优势。最后，由于这是一台仅限头部的扫描仪，很难将磁共振研究活动扩展到神经学领域之外，也不允许对大型动物进行成像。因此，为了绕过所有上述限制，提供最先进的磁共振成像能力，并将磁共振成像研究计划扩展到北卡罗来纳大学-CH分校的神经学相关重点之外，需要资金将我们目前的西门子3T Allegra仅头部扫描仪更换为西门子全身TIM Trio 3T系统。目前现有的Allegra将以25万美元的价格进行交易，以获得西门子的优惠价格(205万美元)。被请求的TIM Trio 3T磁共振扫描仪为目前资助的NIH赠款提供的主要好处包括：i)利用多通道(8个接收器)能力，减少儿科研究的总数据采集时间；ii)最大限度地减少EPI图像采集时的几何失真，即通过使用并行成像方法，即扩散张量成像(DTI)和功能磁共振成像(FMRI)；以及iii)由于全身能力，进一步扩展MR研究活动，使其超越神经学相关项目。最后，另一个好处是，我们的研究所已承诺购买位置发射断层扫描(PET)插件，该插件将在成功资助该应用程序后安装在所请求的MR扫描仪上。这种PET插件不仅将使成像研究计划进一步扩展到MR之外，还将使所需的MR扫描仪成为一个集成的MR-PET扫描仪，同时采集MR和PET图像。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A 3T Siemens Allegra head-only MR scanner fully dedicated to research is currently available at UNC-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). This system has been widely utilized and is the sole human MR research scanner at UNC-CH. While most of the investigators have been happy with the capability and the image quality offered by this system, there are growing concerns regarding the limitations as well as the outlooks of this system. These concerns stem from the following reasons. First, while Siemens has continued to support our system, it is public information that Siemens will not put out additional efforts to further improve either the software or hardware of the Allegra system. Instead the main focus in Siemens is whole body MR scanners. As a result, given the rapid advances of MR technology, the capabilities of our current system will soon be out of date. Second, this system has a major hardware limitation when it comes to parallel imaging capability, one of the most major improvements in recent MR technology capable of shortening data acquisition time while preserving image quality. This limitation stems from the fact that this system can only equip with a maximum of 8 receivers, making it difficult to take full advantage of the parallel imaging technology. Finally, since this is a head-only scanner, it has been difficult expanding MR research activities beyond the neurological areas, nor does it allow imaging large animals. Therefore, in order to circumvent all of the above limitations, provide state-of-the-art MR imaging capability, and expand the MR imaging research program beyond neurologically related focuses at UNC-CH, funds are requested to replace our current Siemens 3T Allegra head-only scanner to a Siemens whole body TIM Trio 3T system. The currently existing Allegra will be traded in ($250k) so as to obtain a favorable price from Siemens ($2.05M). The major benefits offered by the requested Tim Trio 3T MR scanner for the currently funded NIH grants include: i) utilizing multi-channel (>8 receivers) capability to reduce total data acquisition time for pediatric studies; ii) minimizing geometric distortion when EPI images are acquired, ie diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI (fMRI) through the utilization of parallel imaging methods; and iii) further expanding MR research activities beyond neurologically related projects thanks to the whole body capabilities. Finally, an additional benefit is that our Institution has committed to purchase a position emission tomography (PET) insert that will be installed on the requested MR scanner upon successful funding of this application. This PET insert will not only further expand the imaging research program beyond MR but also allow the requested MR scanner to become an integrated MR-PET scanner, acquiring MR and PET images simultaneously.