16-Channel Upgrade Package for 3.0 Tesla MRI Scanner

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议为肯尼迪克里格研究所P.M. Kirby研究中心的3特斯拉MRI系统购买16通道宽带数字射频（RF）系统升级。此次升级包括用于大脑、头颈部、婴儿大脑和乳房的多元件接收线圈。我们的3 T扫描仪目前只有六个RF通道，不足以使用这些新的多元件接收线圈。我们的医疗机构目前没有16通道3 T扫描仪。 肯尼迪克里格研究所、约翰霍普金斯大学和马里兰州大学的研究人员目前有15个NIH资助的项目和1个NSF资助的项目，这些项目的几个目标将大大受益于这次升级所提供的改进的技术能力。这些研究者目前在F.M.中使用3 T系统。Kirby研究中心的结构和功能MRI、定量生理MRI、MR波谱（MRS）和波谱成像（MRSI）以及扩散张量成像（DTI）。 拟议的升级将为现有用户带来以下具体好处： 1)与目前使用的6通道系统相比，16元件头部线圈将皮质的1H MR灵敏度提高了至少27%，并将高速率SENSE的噪声放大损失降低了77%。这些主要优点可用于：a）更好地检测小的fMRI信号变化; B）提高空间分辨率; c）提高时间分辨率（在动态研究中每次产生更多的数据点）; d）减少扫描时间（缩短扫描）; e）减少空间失真。 2)16元件神经血管线圈允许集成的头部和颈部检查（即，在单次采集中对颈椎和大脑进行组合扫描），可显著节省时间。 3)8元件膝盖线圈（“婴儿头部线圈”）将婴儿（0-2岁）皮质中的1H MR灵敏度增加约1.5倍。40%（与现在使用的成人头部线圈相比）。 4)7元件乳腺线圈将允许乳腺MR研究从1.5 T移动到3 T，大约使SNR加倍。此外，与4元件线圈相比，7元件线圈将产生大约额外20%的SNR增加，例如现在在1.5 T下使用的线圈。 由这些多元件线圈产生的灵敏度的增加是非常显著的。例如，16元件头部线圈的皮质灵敏度增加27%，而场强增加到约4 T，并且将允许采集时间减少至少38%，这对于特殊儿童群体至关重要（例如，自闭症;多动症）在肯尼迪克里格研究所研究。3 T 16通道数字RF升级对于我们的机构和我们的研究资源提供的国家设施的持续高质量的最先进的研究至关重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to acquire a 16-channel broadband digital radio-frequency (RF) system upgrade for the 3 Tesla MRI system at the P.M. Kirby Research Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This upgrade includes multi-element receiver coils for brain, head and neck, infant brain, and breast. Our 3 T scanner currently has only six RF channels, which are not sufficient to use these new multi-element receiver coils. No 16-channel 3 T scanner is presently available at our institutions. Investigators at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland presently have 15 NIH-funded projects and 1 NSF-funded project with several aims that will strongly benefit from the improved technical capabilities offered by this upgrade. These investigators presently use the 3 T system in the F.M. Kirby Research Center for structural and functional MRI, quantitative physiological MRI, MR spectroscopy (MRS) and spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The proposed upgrade will provide the following specific benefits for current users: 1) Compared to the 6-channel system currently in use, the 16-element head coil increases 1H MR sensitivity at the cortex by at least 27%, and reduces the noise-amplification penalty for high-rate SENSE by 77%. These primary advantages can be used to: a) better detect small fMRI signal changes; b) increase spatial resolution; c) increase temporal resolution (yield more data points per time in dynamic studies); d) reduce scan times (shorten scans); e) reduce spatial distortions. 2) The 16-element neuro-vascular coil allows integrated head and neck exams (i.e., combined scanning of the cervical spine and brain in single acquisitions), providing significant time savings. 3) The 8-element knee coil ("infant head coil") increases 1H MR sensitivity in infant (0-2 years old) cortex by ca. 40% (compared to the adult head coil now used). 4) The 7-element breast coil will allow breast MR studies to move from 1.5 T to 3 T, approximately doubling SNR. Furthermore, the 7-element coil will yield roughly an additional 20% SNR increase compared with 4- element coils, such as that now used at 1.5 T. The increases in sensitivity yielded by these multi-element coils are highly significant. For instance, the 27% increase in cortical sensitivity from the 16-element head coil compares to an increase in field strength to about 4 T, and would permit at least a 38% reduction in acquisition time, crucial for the special populations of children (e.g., autism; ADHD) studied at Kennedy Krieger Institute. The 3 T 16-channel digital RF upgrade is essential for continued high-quality state-of-the-art research at our institutions and for the national facilities provided by our Research Resource.