Upright Open MRI Upgrade for Biomechanics Research

申请人领导研究项目，利用UBC髋关节健康和活动中心（CHHM）的直立开放式磁共振成像（MRI）扫描仪（MROpen, Paramed, Genoa, Italy）的独特功能研究人类生物力学。MRI是生物力学中非常重要的研究工具，因为它提供了软组织（如肌肉、韧带、软骨）和硬组织（骨）的高分辨率图像，对参与者几乎没有风险。这款MRI扫描仪与其他扫描仪的不同之处在于，它的“开放式”几何结构使我们能够在功能位置获得这些图像，这使得MROpen成为生物力学研究的理想工具。******凭借这种独特的能力，我们正在使用MROpen: 1)开发使用成像无创评估软骨力学（例如应变，刚度）的方法。我们的基本原理是，软骨力学最重要的测量方法（如应变）无法在活人身上测量，而这些工具的发展将为生物力学的研究开辟许多新的途径。2)了解说话和吞咽过程中解剖结构的力学功能。MROpen扫描仪的独特功能是对直立的病人进行成像，用于确定重力是否在正常成年说话者和吞咽者说话和吞咽时肌肉的活动中起重要作用。3)评估姿势对脊柱肌肉生物力学的影响，并利用这些发现建立脊柱生物力学模型，用于术前规划。这些项目由3名高级生物力学研究人员领导，他们在关节生物力学、言语/吞咽和脊柱生物力学方面具有国际知名度。******这对我们计划的研究项目至关重要，我们通过实施两个新发布的升级来增加直立开放MRI扫描仪的功能。第一次升级是我们所有研究项目的基础：一个新的光谱仪和软件包，将为我们提供所需的成像速度和灵活性，以执行负重扫描，限制运动伪影和参与者疲劳。这需要实现软骨成像所需的新序列，语音和吞咽动态扫描所需的多通道能力，以及评估脊柱肌肉真实横截面积所需的3D环境。第二次升级，一个直立包装，包括一个新的脊柱线圈，全脊柱覆盖和一个集成的平面参与者床/直立定位工具，旨在实现稳定的直立定位，这对我们提出的负重姿势研究至关重要。这需要限制我们所有直立图像中的运动伪影，允许线圈定位以达到我们要求的图像质量，并允许对整个脊柱进行成像。******每个相关的研究项目都将为不同的HQP群体提供实践培训，主要是硕士、博士和博士后。*****

The applicants lead research programs that investigate human biomechanics using the unique capabilities of the upright open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner (MROpen, Paramed, Genoa, Italy) at UBC's Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM). MRI is a very important research tool in biomechanics because it provides high-resolution images of both soft tissues (e.g. muscle, ligament, cartilage) and hard tissues (bone) with almost no risk to the participant. What sets this MRI scanner apart from others is that its “open” geometry allows us to obtain these images in functional positions, which makes the MROpen an ideal tool for biomechanics research. ******With this unique capability, we are using the MROpen: 1) To develop methods to assess cartilage mechanics (eg strain, stiffness) noninvasively using imaging. Our rationale is that the most important measures of cartilage mechanics (eg strain) cannot be measured in living people, and that development of these tools would open up many new pathways of research in biomechanics. 2) To understand the mechanical function of anatomical structures during speech and swallowing. The unique capability of the MROpen scanner to image patients when upright is being used to determine whether gravity plays a significant role in which muscles are active during speech articulation and swallowing in normal adult speakers and swallowers. 3) To assess the effect of posture on spine muscle biomechanics and use these findings to develop a biomechanical model of the spine for preoperative planning. These programs are led by 3 senior biomechanics researchers with international profiles in joint biomechanics, speech/swallowing, and spine biomechanics. ******It is essential to our planned research programs that we add functionality to the Upright Open MRI scanner by implementing two newly-released upgrades. The first upgrade is fundamental to all of our research programs: a new spectrometer and software package that will give us the imaging speed and flexibility required to perform weight-bearing scans with limited motion artefact and participant fatigue. This is required to enable the new sequences we need for cartilage imaging, the multi-channel capability required for dynamic scans in speech and swallowing, and the 3D environment required to assess spine muscles in true cross-sectional area. The second upgrade, an upright package including a new spine coil with full spine coverage and an integrated flat participant bed/upright positioning tool designed to allow stable upright positioning, is essential to our proposed studies in weightbearing postures. This is required to limit motion artefact in all of our upright images, allow positioning of coils to achieve the image quality we require, and to allow imaging of the whole spine. ******Each of the associated programs of research will provide hands-on training to a diverse group of HQP, primarily Master's and PhD students and Postdoctoral fellows.*****