Material Property Sensors via MRI Elastography

该研究项目的目标是合成和实施磁共振成像（MRI）和机械方法相结合，提供材料机械性能的定量空间分辨图像，随后将这些方法应用于工业传感。该研究的初始阶段将主要致力于异位静态弹性成像MRI计划，该计划映射外部施加磁场的异质材料的杨氏模量。然后，该研究将转向开发两种传感器：宏观单元和微观单元。虽然这两种传感器都涉及类似的原理，但将强调传感单元的尺寸和尺度，前者针对英寸长度尺度，后者强调微米长度尺度。这些努力将与计算机算法的开发相协调，该算法将材料位移测量作为输入，并将杨氏模量的空间图作为输出。 工作的最后阶段将致力于制作与工业界合作确定的样品的微弹性图和宏观弹性图，以及可能展示新科学价值的样品。

The goal of this research project is to synthesize and implement combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and mechanical methods that afford quantitative spatially-resolved images of material mechanical properties, with subsequent application of the methods towards the industrial sensing. The initial phases of the research will be devoted mainly to ex-situ static elastography MRI schemes that map Young's modulus in heterogeneous materials external to an applied magnetic field. The study will then move towards the development of two sensors: a macroscopic unit and a microscopic unit. While similar principles are involved in both sensors, the size and scale of the sensing units will be emphasized, with the former aimed at inch length-scales and the latter emphasizing micron length-scales. These efforts will be coordinated with the development of computer algorithms crafted to take material displacement measurements as inputs and yield spatial maps of Young's modulus as outputs. The final phase of the work will be devoted to producing microelastograms and macroelastograms of samples determined by collaboration with industry, as well as samples that might demonstrate new scientific value.