7 TESLA TECHNOLOGY FOR FUNCTIONAL IMAGING

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Siemens Medical Solutions has been working with the MGH for the past 7 years to develop high field (7T) MRI technology for research applications of the brain. The MGH system was installed as a prototype and test-bed for developing this technology. Siemens has dedicated 3 on-site engineers to facilitate this and other projects at the MGH and has a 7T project manager at the factory in Erlangen. Access to equipment, manufacturing ability and expertise at Siemens has been invaluable to MGH for successfully getting this system running and optimizing its performance. Seven Tesla technology is still relatively new for all involved; there is no known "optimal configuration" that can just be shipped. For example, Project 2 of our Resource has evaluated multiple iterations of most of the important sub-systems. We have utilized 3 different head gradients, 2 different types configurations, 2 different RF receiver incarnations, and countless RF coils. The collaboration with Siemens has been crucial for ensuring that this system is optimized for the functional imaging applications desired. The array technology collaboration centers around developing the 128-channel receiver system currently in place on the MGH 3T system. This system will be duplicated on the MGH 7T system when the recourse is ready to utilize it. MGH will be responsible for providing and installing the preamplifier array and second stage amplifiers. The Siemens-MGH large array coil collaboration has already lead to a 1.5T and 3T 32 channel brain array as a commercial product. The early experience into even higher element counts provides Siemens with an early view of the utility of this direction. Similarly, the generalized mode-mixing problem is of interest to Siemens; the current "TIM" platform utilizes a 3x3 equivalent of the Butler matrix as a mode-mixing strategies. The success of this methodology spurs keen interest in other, larger-scale, mode mixing schemes.