A Self-Tuning Liquid Metal Coil Conforming to Movement for High-Resolution Brachial Plexus MRI

适合高分辨率臂丛 MRI 运动的自调节液态金属线圈

• 批准号: 10621375
• 负责人: Darryl Sneag
• 金额: $ 69.5万
• 依托单位: WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-05-16 至 2026-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10621375
• 关键词: 3-Dimensional; Address; Adopted; Anatomy; Architecture; Axilla; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies; Brachial plexus structure; Breast; Characteristics; Chest wall structure; Clinical; Complex; Data; Dedications; Diagnosis; Diameter; Diffusion; Digit structure; Dimensions; Economics; Electric Capacitance; Electromagnetics; Elements; Engineering; Ensure; Etiology; Evaluation; Foundations; Frequencies; Geometry; Goals; Hip region structure; Iatrogenesis; Image; Imaging Phantoms; Individual; Inflammatory; Inguinal region; Joints; Knee; Limb structure; Liquid substance; Magnetic Resonance; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Measurement; Meniscus structure of joint; Metals; Morphology; Movement; Musculoskeletal; Neck; Nerve; Nerve Fibers; Noise; Operative Surgical Procedures; Outcome; Pain; Pathology; Patient imaging; Patients; Pelvis; Peripheral Nerves; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Physics; Positioning Attribute; Protocols documentation; Regional Anatomy; Research; Resolution; Rotation; Shoulder; Side; Signal Transduction; Skin; Special Hospitals; Stretching; Structure; Technology; Testing; Thoracic Outlet Syndrome; Three-Dimensional Imaging; Upper Extremity; Visualization; Work; arm; clinical decision-making; collaborative environment; design; design and construction; flexibility; improved; in vitro testing; innovation; medical schools; multidisciplinary; neurovascular; novel; novel imaging technology; prototype; psychologic; radio frequency; simulation; soft tissue

PROJECT SUMMARY Abnormality of the brachial plexus (BP), i.e. brachial plexopathy, can result in profound functional, psychological and economic consequences. Dedicated peripheral nerve MRI, or MR neurography (MRN), is an important adjunct to the physical exam and electrodiagnostic testing to evaluate brachial plexopathies, and influences clinically decision making, including surgical planning, and outcomes. MRN affords direct visualization of individual nerves and their relationship to osseus and soft tissue structures but suffers from insufficient spatial resolution (~1.0mm-isotropic) resulting from poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This is largely due to the inherently concave anatomy of the neck-shoulder junction that precludes close proximity of conventional MRI coils to the skin. The inherent, complex branching and intertwining anatomy of the BP requires higher spatial resolution (~0.5 mm-isotropic) than possible with current radiofrequency (RF) coils. Current RF coils are either rigid or not adequately flexible, and do not conform to the curvatures of the neck, shoulder and axillary regions. We will develop novel, non-toxic, robust liquid metal RF coil technology to enable the design of a conformal and flexible neck-BP array. This design will ensure that coil elements conform to the body contour (to maximize SNR) in their entirety and with the arm in different positions. The characteristics of bendability and form-fitting stretchability are feasible with liquid metal technology, but this technology has not been previously implemented commercially. This project proposes the design and construction of a dedicated RF coil array for brachial plexus MRN, to enable higher spatial-resolution and 3D imaging, with unprecedented detail, in patients with clinically suspected thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). We will systematically evaluate liquid metal coils against standard coils for BP MRN. We hypothesize that the achievable spatial resolution will be ~0.5 mm isotropic, greater than the ~1 mm isotropic currently achieved with commercial coils, and will therefore better depict regional anatomy and pathology. Impact: The proposed research will not only address TOS but will also facilitate evaluation of (1) other brachial plexopathies and more peripheral neuropathies (of traumatic, inflammatory, iatrogenic etiologies, e.g.), and (2) other complex/curved anatomies including the breast/chest wall region, perineal/groin region, and digits. This technology would also facilitate dynamic imaging of the extremities to elucidate pathology such as femoroacetabular impingement (hip), ligamentous laxity (multiple joints), and meniscal incompetence (knee), not borne out with conventional, static MRI.

项目摘要 臂丛神经（BP）的异常，即臂丛神经病，可能会导致强大的功能， 心理和经济后果。专用的周围神经MRI或神经造影MR（MRN）是 体格检查和电诊断测试的重要辅助检查，以评估臂丛病，并 影响临床决策，包括手术计划和结果。 MRN提供直接可视化 单个神经及其与Osseus和软组织结构的关系，但空间不足 由差的信噪比（SNR）产生的分辨率（〜1.0mm - 异位）。这主要是由于固有的 颈肩凹形结构的凹形连接处，该连接处排除了传统MRI线圈的紧密距离 皮肤。 BP的固有，复杂的分支和交织的解剖学需要更高的空间分辨率 （〜0.5 mm - 异分），电流射频（RF）线圈可能。当前的RF线圈是刚性是否刚性的 充分柔韧，不符合颈部，肩膀和腋窝区域的曲率。 我们将开发新颖，无毒的液体金属RF线圈技术，以实现 共形和灵活的颈部BP阵列。该设计将确保线圈元件符合身体轮廓（到 最大化SNR），并在手臂处于不同的位置。弯曲性和 液态金属技术可行的形式可拉伸性是可行的，但以前没有这种技术 商业实施。该项目建议设计和构建专用的RF线圈阵列 臂丛神经mRN，为患者提供更高的空间分辨率和3D成像，并具有前所未有的细节 患有临床怀疑的胸腔出口综合征（TOS）。我们将系统地评估液态金属线圈 针对BP MRN的标准线圈。我们假设可实现的空间分辨率为〜0.5 mm 各向同性，大于目前使用商业线圈实现的约1毫米的各向同性，因此会更好 描述区域解剖学和病理学。 影响：拟议的研究不仅将解决TOS，而且还将促进（1）其他肱骨的评估 神经病和更多的周围神经病（创伤性，炎症性，医源性病因，例如）和（2） 其他复合/弯曲的解剖结构，包括乳房/胸壁区域，会阴/腹股沟区域和数字。这 技术还将促进四肢的动态成像，以阐明病理 股骨tabular撞击（髋关节），韧带松弛（多个关节）和半月板无能（膝盖），而不是 与传统的静态MRI一起出现。