7T Small Animal MRI Scanner

描述（由申请人提供）：布里格姆核磁共振研究中心（BMRC）位于朗伍德大道221号的尤金布劳恩瓦尔德研究中心，为布里格姆妇女医院和哈佛医学院朗伍德校区的研究人员提供必要的核磁共振研究服务。2010年，BMRC获得了G20赠款，用于支持该资源自1991年以来的首次重大改造。这项重要的改造提供了必要的基础设施改进，以促进先进的MRI研究在该中心的进行、发展和繁荣。在目前的配置中，BMRC有3个MRI扫描仪舱，可容纳全身人体扫描仪（一个GE 1.5特斯拉(T)，一个GE 3.0T磁铁和一个空舱）。除了现有的扫描仪外，新的BMRC还将配备下一代3.0 T西门子扫描仪。重新设计的BMRC最具创新性的特点是将一个小动物成像实验室（SAIL）整合到以前主要是人类成像中心。BMRC重新设计的首要目标是通过提供一个全面的、转化的研究基础设施来开发一个更自然的合作环境。SAIL将包括除MR成像套件外的动物处理套件，是这项工作的关键任务。动物处理套房将容纳一个用于小鼠和大鼠的卫星动物室，以及一个配有麻醉资源的动物准备实验室，用于进行显微手术。动物成像套件将由控制室、成像室和电子支持室组成。最初的计划是安装“最先进的高场强（9.4或11.7T）小孔径动物系统”，该计划完全基于与场强成正比的信噪比（SNR）增益。过去一年的两个关键事态发展为改变这一立场提供了理由。首先，是一种新技术的商业可用性，即冷冻探针，它可以显著提高信噪比，同时避免磁化率、介电效应和T2*缩短等混淆物理现象，这些现象会随着场强的增加而恶化。此外，冷冻探头信噪比的改善与场强呈负相关，在7T时信噪比增加了3倍，在11.7 t时降至1.5倍。其次，单独位于哈佛医学院的老式4.7T小口径动物扫描仪已经退役，导致一些用户呼吁保持在7T范围内。因此，我们提出了这一建议，以协助收购7T 20厘米水平孔径布鲁克系统与冷冻探头。除了有利于一个充满活力的动物成像程序，新的扫描仪将加强动物和人类研究人员之间的互动。例如，x-核能力将允许对超偏振气体进行成像。这是BWH独特的MRI项目之一，将利用安装在BMRC的超偏光器。同样，新仪器将促进正在进行的小鼠心脏成像、小鼠前列腺成像、小儿猴功能成像和组织样本弥散张量成像的研究。下一代产品将包括小鼠脑肿瘤和小鼠中风模型的神经血管成像。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Brigham MRI Research Center (BMRC), located in the Eugene Braunwald Research Center at 221 Longwood Avenue, provides essential research MRI services to investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Longwood Campus of Harvard Medical School. In 2010, the BMRC was awarded a G20 grant to support the first major renovation of this resource since 1991. This vital renovation provides the needed infrastructural improvements to facilitate advanced MRI research to proceed, grow, and flourish at this center. In its current configuration, the BMRC has 3 MRI scanner bays that house whole-body human scanners (one GE 1.5 Tesla (T), one GE 3.0T magnet, and an empty bay. The new BMRC will feature a next-generation 3.0 T Siemens scanner in addition to the existing scanners. The most innovative feature of the redesigned BMRC will be the integration of a small animal imaging laboratory (SAIL) into what was previously a predominantly human imaging center. The overarching goal of the BMRC redesign is to develop a more naturally collaborative environment by providing a comprehensive, translational research infrastructure. The SAIL, which will encompass an animal handling suite in addition to the MR imaging suite, is mission critical to this effort. The animal handling suite will house a satellite vivarium for mice and rats, and an animal preparation lab complete with anesthesia resources for performing microsurgery. The animal imaging suite will consist of a control room, imaging bay and electronic support room. The original plan to install a "state-of-the-art high field strength (9.4 or 11.7T) small bore animal system" was based solely on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gains that are proportional to field strength. Two critical developments over the past year have provided cause to modify this position. First, is the commercial availability of a novel technology, the cryoprobe, that yields marked improvements in SNR, while avoiding the confounding physical phenomena of magnetic susceptibility, dielectric effects, and T2*-shortening that worsen with increasing field strength. Moreover, cryoprobe SNR improvements are inversely related to field strength, with a three-fold SNR increase at 7T, falling to 1.5 fold at 11.7 T. The second is that the vintage 4.7T small bore animal scanner located separately at Harvard Medical School has been decommissioned, resulting in a call by some users to stay in the 7T range. Therefore, we offer this proposal to assist in the acquisition of a 7T 20 cm horizontal bore Bruker system with a cryoprobe. In addition to being conducive to a vibrant animal imaging program, the new scanner will enhance the interaction between animal and human re searchers. For example, the x-nuclear capability will allow imaging of hyperpolarized gasses. This is one of the unique MRI programs at the BWH, and will leverage the hyperpolarizer being installed in the BMRC. Similarly, the new instrument will facilitate ongoing research in cardiac imaging in mouse, prostate imaging in mouse, and functional imaging in pediatric monkeys, and diffusion tensor imaging in tissue samples. Next generation offering will include brain tumors in mouse, and murine neurovascular imaging in stroke models. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Brigham MRI Research Center (BMRC), located in the Eugene Braunwald Research Center at 221 Longwood Avenue is undergoing a significant renovation as the result of a G20 grant. We propose to acquire a 7T 20cm small animal MRI scanner to help facilitate the overarching BMRC goal of becoming a state of the art translational center. The new instrument would support several existing NIH funded projects and investigators covering the spectrum from cardiology (hypertrophy, genetics), pulmonology (hyperpolarized gas exchange), prostate imaging, to neuroscience (diffusion tensor imaging, brain tumor imaging, and stroke imaging).