Siemens Tim Trio 3T Whole Body MR Scanner

描述（由申请人提供）：一台完全致力于研究的3T西门子Allegra头部磁共振扫描仪目前在北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校（UNC-CH）可用。该系统已被广泛应用，是UNC-CH唯一的人体磁共振研究扫描仪。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，但越来越多的人担心该系统的局限性和前景。这些担忧源于以下原因。首先，虽然西门子将继续支持我们的系统，但公开的信息是，西门子将不会进一步努力改进Allegra系统的软件或硬件。相反，西门子的主要焦点是全身磁共振扫描仪。因此，鉴于磁共振技术的快速发展，我们目前系统的能力很快就会过时。其次，当涉及到并行成像能力时，该系统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。这种限制源于该系统最多只能配备8个接收器，难以充分利用并行成像技术。最后，由于这是一种仅用于头部的扫描仪，因此很难将MR研究活动扩展到神经系统以外的领域，也不允许对大型动物进行成像。因此，为了规避上述所有限制，提供最先进的MR成像能力，并将UNC-CH的MR成像研究项目扩展到神经学相关的重点之外，要求资金将我们目前的西门子3T Allegra头部扫描仪替换为西门子全身TIM Trio 3T系统。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）。目前NIH资助的Tim Trio 3T MR扫描仪提供的主要好处包括：i)利用多通道（bbbb8接收器）能力减少儿科研究的总数据采集时间；ii)利用平行成像方法，在获取EPI图像（即扩散张量成像（DTI）和功能MRI (fMRI)）时，最大限度地减少几何畸变；iii)由于全身功能，进一步扩展MR研究活动超出神经相关项目。最后，一个额外的好处是，我们的机构已经承诺购买一个位置发射断层扫描（PET）插入，将在成功资助此应用程序后安装在请求的MR扫描仪上。这种PET插入不仅将进一步扩展成像研究程序，超出MR，而且还允许要求的MR扫描仪成为一个集成的MR-PET扫描仪，同时获取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 As a result, given the rapid advances of MR technology, the capabilities of our current system will soon be out of date.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.