Small Bore 7T Magnetic Resonance Instrument

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请的目的是将密歇根大学的神经科学，工程和成像社区聚集在一起，购买一台7 Telsa， 30厘米孔径的MRI扫描仪，用于功能MRI，工程开发和其他动物成像研究。密歇根大学拥有非常强大的神经科学、工程和成像社区，但这些社区在动物模型的功能神经成像方面只有有限的相互作用。该系统为一些目前缺乏成像组件的神经科学研究、一些目前只能使用人体MRI扫描仪的成像技术资助、以及一些目前无法使用MRI的不同生物医学工程小组正在进行的项目提供了关键的支持技术。拟议的系统将比密歇根大学现有的高场（例如7 T） MR单元具有更大的孔径，因此将能够在更大的动物模型上进行神经成像研究。该设施将紧挨着功能性核磁共振实验室，这将允许利用该设施的研究人员社区和辅助资源，并将有助于形成一个更大的功能神经成像研究人员的临界质量。该系统还将允许成像研究人员更灵活地研究成像技术和大脑活动的生理学。与现有的校园人体扫描仪不同，该系统将允许简单的硬件修改，并将为新的成像开发提供4个独立的发射器。利用高场系统的高分辨率和动物模型的生理操作，对功能性MRI反应的空间和时间特性的研究将更容易进行。最后，工程小组正在进行的一些与治疗和成像超声研究相关的研究将受益于位于“生物医学工程四边形”的高场成像设备。这些研究将利用高场MRI检查变化的组织特性，并研究高场MRI检测小气泡周围敏感性对比变化的能力。提议的设备将为生物医学研究界的最大影响提供真正可行的资源。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this application is to bring together the neuroscience, engineering and imaging communities at the University of Michigan with the purchase of a 7 Telsa, 30 cm bore MRI scanner for functional MRI, engineering development and other imaging studies in animals. The University of Michigan has very strong neuroscience, engineering and imaging communities, but these communities have had only limited interactions in functional neuroimaging in animal models. The proposed system provides critical enabling technology for several neuroscience studies that currently lack imaging components, several imaging technology grants that presently have access to only human MRI scanners, and several projects being undertaken by different biomedical engineering groups that currently do not have easy access to MRI. The proposed system will have a larger bore than existing very high field (e.g. 7 T) MR units at the University of Michigan and thus will enable neuroimaging studies on larger animal models. The facility will be located immediately adjacent to the Functional MRI Laboratory, which will allow leveraging of the community of researchers and ancillary resources at this facility and will help to form a larger critical mass of researchers in functional neuroimaging. The proposed system will also allow imaging researchers, more flexibility to investigate imaging technology and the physiology of brain activity. The proposed system, unlike existing human scanners on campus, will allow easy hardware modifications and will also provide 4 independent transmitters for new imaging development. Investigations of the spatial and temporal properties of the functional MRI response will be more easily performed with the high resolution capabilities of the high field system and the physiological manipulations that are possible using animal models. Finally, several investigations related to therapeutic and imaging ultrasound studies being conducted by engineering groups would benefit from a high-field imaging device located in the "biomedical engineering quadrangle." These studies will make use of high field MRI to examine changing tissue properties and investigate the ability of high field MRI to detect changes in susceptibility contrast surrounding small bubbles. The proposed device will provide a truly enabling resource for maximal impact on the biomedical research community.