Development of Zero TE MRI to visualise cranial bones, nerves and vessels

博士项目目标：利用零回波时间（ZTE） MRI序列的独特特性，准确地可视化颅骨解剖（骨骼，血管，脑神经），这是传统成像难以或不可能的。展示中兴解剖成像在手术和放疗计划中的临床价值。项目描述/背景医学成像的主要用途是规划临床程序，包括癌症的手术或放射治疗。随着外科手术变得越来越先进，医学成像技术必须跟上步伐，以提供详细的、个性化的解剖信息。一个特别苛刻的例子是颌面手术，这是治疗牙痛和头痛的关键。虽然MRI可以对大脑进行精细的细节成像，但由于复杂的结构和不同的组织类型，包括头骨、颌骨、牙齿、颅神经和主要血管在内的周围解剖结构非常具有挑战性。虽然传统的MRI和CT可以分别提供软组织和骨骼的一些对比信息，但目前它们都不可能同时提供所有组织类型的必要图像。该项目将利用一种称为零回波时间（ZTE）成像的独特MR形式。中兴成像的显著优势包括能够检测来自骨骼、牙齿和钙化的信号，改善血管的可视化，以及对磁化率伪像的鲁棒性(1)。因此，中兴通讯提供了一个独特的机会，在一次扫描中以综合的方式对头部和颈部解剖的各个方面进行成像，同时避免了使用CT扫描固有的x射线。中兴通讯的另一个好处是该序列几乎是无声的，从而增加了患者在扫描过程中的舒适度(2)。成功的候选人将与专家MRI物理学家和临床医生团队合作，创建适合于脑外精细解剖结构成像的中兴检查。他们将设计合适的造影剂制备方案和重建技术，以突出所需的-或抑制无关的-解剖特征。这将需要与临床医生密切合作，以了解多种应用的具体需求。该项目将适合具有物理，电气工程，生物医学工程或相关学科背景的候选人。

Aim of the PhD Project:Exploit the unique properties of the Zero Echo-Time (ZTE) MRI sequence to accurately visualise cranial anatomy (bone, blood vessels, cranial nerves) that is difficult or impossible with conventional imaging.Demonstrate the clinical benefit of ZTE anatomical imaging for surgical and radiation planning.Project description/background A primary use of medical imaging is planning clinical procedures including surgery or radiation therapy for cancer. As surgical procedures become ever more advanced, medical imaging techniques must keep pace to provide detailed, personalised anatomical information. A particularly demanding example is maxillofacial surgery, which is key in the management of dental pain and debilitating headaches. Although the brain can be imaged in exquisite detail with MRI, the surrounding anatomy including the skull, jaw, teeth, cranial nerves, and major blood vessels is highly challenging due to intricate structures and different tissue types. While conventional MRI and CT can provide some contrasting information about soft tissue and bone respectively, it is not currently possible for either to provide the necessary images of all tissue types simultaneously. This project will utilise a unique form of MR called Zero Echo-Time (ZTE) imaging. Significant advantages of ZTE imaging include the ability to detect signal from bone, teeth & calcifications, improved visualisation of vessels, and robustness to magnetic susceptibility artefacts (1). ZTE hence gives a unique opportunity to image all aspects of anatomy in the head and neck in an integrated way in a single scanning session, while avoiding the use of X-rays inherent in a CT scan. An additional benefit of ZTE is that the sequence is near-silent, thus increasing patient comfort during scanning (2). The successful candidate will work with a team of expert MRI physicists and clinicians to create a ZTE examination suitable for imaging the fine anatomical structures outside of the brain. They will design suitable contrast preparation schemes and reconstruction techniques to highlight desired - or suppress irrelevant - features of anatomy. This will require close collaboration with clinicians to understand the specific needs for multiple applications. The project will suit a candidate with a background in physics, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, or related discipline.