Console for a 4.7 T small animal MRI system

描述（由申请人提供）：申请资金用于购买用于小型动物磁共振成像（MRI）扫描仪的最先进的控制台和梯度放大器。新仪器将连接到现有的水平孔径4.7 T、50厘米磁铁，配备39厘米内径、4高斯/厘米和12厘米内径、25高斯/厘米梯度管。控制台将提供几个新功能，包括；1)执行并行采集技术的能力，导致动态对比研究中数据采集时间的显著减少和时间分辨率的提高，2)采用多片方向的采集研究，3)梯度稳定性和可靠性的提高，4)增强信噪比，5)改进的用户界面。该仪器将成为宾夕法尼亚大学放射学系小动物成像设施（SAIF）的一部分。SAIF为宾夕法尼亚大学、费城儿童医院、杰斐逊医院和其他附近机构的大型NIH资助的研究社区提供必要的基础设施、管理、仪器和专业知识。该仪器将支持许多NIH资助的项目调查；1)干细胞治疗心肌梗死的疗效，2)苯乙酸酯和苯丁酸酯抑制癌细胞增殖的机制，3)人类溶酶体贮积病动物模型中中枢神经系统和神经干细胞的体细胞基因转移，4)精神分裂症小鼠模型的神经解剖学差异，5)黑色素瘤异种移植的酸化，6)非霍奇金淋巴瘤治疗的反应，7)关节炎的评估，8)环氧化酶代谢在血管损伤后血管重构中的作用；9)新型对比剂在小鼠模型中早期检测胰腺癌的作用。所有这些研究都将受益于所要求的仪器提供的新功能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Funds are requested to purchase a state of the art console and gradient amplifiers for a small animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The new instrumentation will be interfaced to an existing horizontal bore 4.7 T, 50 cm magnet equipped with 39 cm ID, 4 gauss/cm and 12 cm ID, 25 gauss/cm gradient tubes. The console will provide several new capabilities including; 1) the ability to perform parallel acquisition techniques resulting in significant reductions in data acquisition time and improved temporal resolution in dynamic contrast studies, 2) acquisition of studies employing multiple slice orientations, 3) improvements in gradient stability and reliability, 4) enhanced signal to noise ratio and 5) an improved user interface. The instrument will become part of the Small Animal Imaging Facility (SAIF) in the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. The SAIF provides the infrastructure, administration, instrumentation and expertise necessary to perform small animal imaging to the large, heavily NIH funded research community at University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Jefferson Hospital and other nearby institutions. The instrumentation will support numerous NIH funded programs investigating; 1) the therapeutic benefits of stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction, 2) the mechanisms by which phenylacetate and phenylbutyrate inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, 3) somatic gene transfer to the central nervous system and neural stem cells in animal models of human lysosomal storage diseases, 4) neuroanatomical differences in a mouse model of schizophrenia, 5) acidification of melanoma xenografts 6) response to therapy of non- hodgkins lymphoma, 7) assessment of arthritis, 8) the role of cyclooxygenase metabolism in vascular restructuring following vascular injury and 9) novel contrast agents for early detection of pancreatic cancer in mouse models All of these studies will benefit from the new capabilities afforded by the requested instrumentation. The study of small animal models of human diseases continues to play a central role in the development of new therapies. The utilization of non-invasive radiological imaging techniques, particularly MRI, allows for longitudinal study of the disease thus reducing the number of animals needed and giving insight into the evolution of the disease. The requested instrumentation will expand the capabilities of the existing instrumentation improving both the quality of the data generated and improve the throughput of the instrument.