Console Replacement and Upgrade of 9.4 Tesla Animal Instrument

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The aim of this proposal is to replace the currently dysfunctional, unsupported, and discontinued Varian “console” (i.e., all RF, gradient, and digital electronics) on a unique 9.4 Tesla/31 cm bore Instrument dedicated to small to medium size animal model studies at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR). Due to Varian being taken over by Agilent Technologies in 2010 and the termination of the magnetic resonance businesses/service by Agilent Technologies three years later, this console is no longer supported. This 9.4 Tesla (T) NMR instrument is the world’s first horizontal bore scanner established for animal model studies at such a high magnetic field at a time when animal scanners operated at ≤ 4.7T. It has been the most productive instrument at CMRR, resulting in a large number of new technologies and important publications. Many animal imaging projects funded by eleven active NIH grants continue to rely on this instrument. A console replacement is urgently needed in order to avoid jeopardizing the success of these projects, and support future animal model based research in the highly productive environment of the CMRR. CMRR’s 9.4T/31 cm bore system has always played a crucial role in a large number of projects on animal models conducted within our past Biotechnology Research Center P41 and P30 grants. It is still slated for a critical role in our recently funded BTRC P41 EB02706, and in numerous present and past R01 and U01 grants from the NIH. However, the instrument, which we have been able to maintain until recently, is currently dysfunctional for proton imaging studies, and has also reached limits of its viability for other multinuclear applications. The termination of Varian as company and subsequent cessation of all MR support for Varian consoles and systems by Agilent Technologies left all Varian users, including us, in a very difficult and in the long-term an untenable position. As problems and failures emerged and accumulated on the instrument, several remained unresolved as Varian engineers were laid off, spare parts disappeared, and a commitment and the ability to fix these problems in Agilent and associated vendors vanished. Already many Varian users migrated to the consoles provided mainly by Bruker. Our 9.4 Tesla instrument has reached a critical point where a similar console replacement is now needed to continue the productivity that has marked the history of this animal model MR scanner. Therefore, US$1,328,035 funding is sought in this HEI grant for replacing the outdated 9.4T console, with an integrated and fully supported console from Bruker.