QUADRATURE, RF COIL ARRAYS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL MRI

拟议的工作属于国家航空航天监测系统的任务范围。在第一阶段，将在1.5T下开发一种新型体积射频线圈阵列，其S/N比改进30%-40%，用于高分辨率膝关节MRI。在六个月的项目中，将经常观察到模式分布并计划进行体模测量。第二阶段将包括优化膝部线圈，将设计缩小为椭圆形线圈，用于手腕成像。还计划将其扩展到用于髋关节成像的While-Body线圈。所有这些线圈都将在患者使用之前与模体和志愿者进行严格的评估。一个主要的技术重点是将核磁共振实验的S/N进一步提高2倍。潜在的临床和研究用途将面向获得可靠、可重现的高分辨率图像，以在可能减少的扫描时间内提高诊断准确性，减少患者不适，同时增加磁共振扫描仪的吞吐量。我们相信这将给人类带来实质性的好处。拟议的商业应用：与侵入性关节造影术相比，临床应用包括非电离、非侵入性和成本效益高的方法，用于诊断关节炎和膝关节、手腕、足踝和髋关节的肌肉骨骼疾病。该项目将对MR相控阵线圈技术进行改进，包括序列和技术优化。如果临床价值被证明，基于这项技术的磁共振系统将在人体肌肉骨骼系统成像中得到广泛应用。

The work proposed is within the mission of the NIAMS. In Phase I, a novel volume RF coil array with a 30-40% improvement in S/N for high-resolution knee MRI will be developed at 1.5T. Frequently mode distributions will be observed and phantom measurements are planned during the six month project. Phase II will involve optimizing the knee coil, shrinking the design to an elliptically shaped coil for wrist imaging. Expansions to a while-body coil for hip imaging are also planned. All these coils will be evaluated with phantoms and volunteers rigorously, prior to patient use. A major technical focus is to further improve the S/N of a NMR experiment by a factor of 2. Potential clinical and research uses will be geared toward obtaining reliable, reproducible high-resolution images needed to enhance diagnostic accuracy in possibly reduced scan times, decreasing patient discomfort while increasing throughput in a MR scanner. This we believe will be of a substantial benefit to mankind. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Clinical applications include non-ionizing, non-invasive and a cost effective approach toward diagnosis of arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases of the knee, wrist & hand, foot & ankle and hip when compared to the invasive arthrography. This project will provide improvements to MR phased array coil technology, including sequence and technique optimizations. If clinical value is demonstrated, MR systems based on this technology will find widespread applications in imaging the human musculoskeletal system.