Functional MRI Core Facility

空间利用率： 功能性磁共振成像设施（FMRIF）目前占地约4800平方米。300平方英尺的空间，分为扫描仪间、控制室和3 TA、3 TB、3 TC、3 TD和7 T MRI扫描仪的电子/机器室，位于NMR中心内，办公空间位于NMR中心上方的二楼，位于FMRIF/Scrum套房内（总面积约为1400平方英尺，包括共享会议空间）。 工作人员： FMRIF工作人员（目前有14名全职员工）包括：设施主管、三名保持扫描仪运行的科学家、六名MRI技术人员、一名信息技术专家、一名程序员和一名程序助理。 功能性磁共振成像设施支持30多名主要研究人员的研究，总共有300多名研究人员。超过70个研究方案正在使用FMRIF扫描仪。每台扫描仪的预定工作时间为每周105小时。 自2000年至2013年9月，共有884份出版物使用了核心设施。全国精神卫生研究所586人，全国残疾人研究所223人，其他研究所75人。这些论文被引用了60，033次，综合h指数为124。 今年，我们继续提高功能磁共振成像核心设施的整体效用。当我们调整我们的人员，以适应一些预算削减，我们继续提高效率和先进的功能磁共振成像和磁共振成像扫描能力的可用性。特别是，我们与用户的具体合作的质量和深度都有所提高。 IT成就（主要来自Roark Maccado、Joe Naegele、Souheil Inati和Sean Marrett）： 我们为FMRIF创建了一个新的存储备份存储系统和具有虚拟机架构的新硬件集群，该架构提高了可靠性，并将在线存储能力从40 TB增加到200 TB以上。 我们部署了一个项目管理系统（Redmine/Chilliproject），与github一起用于项目任务跟踪以及协作科学和软件开发工作。 重新设计扫描仪使用跟踪系统，以使用新的成像档案数据库 用于自动生成FMRIF扫描仪使用情况的定期电子表格报告的软件 最后，我们创建了一个新的项目管理系统，大大提高了FMRIF科学协作的能力，使软件工作更有效。 7 T成就： 我们继续为NIH合作者开发/采用和评估尖端脉冲序列，因为我们通过使用正弦EPI读出脉冲序列将EPI BOLD数据采集协议的分辨率从约1.6-1.8 mm 3提高到1.2- 1.3 mm 3。 我们继续使用明尼苏达大学开发的开发脉冲序列在3 T和7 T下评估多切片激发脉冲的TSNR权衡。 我们已经实现了一个新的眼睛跟踪系统的7 T使用现成的集成照明器和摄像头。 一般来说，我们还改进了西门子3 T和7 T扫描仪上的生理监测系统。 科学家的具体成就： Souheil Inati： 博士Inati仍然是西门子脉冲序列开发的关键，也是执行快速自动图像重建、分析和离线存储的工具。 他开发了一种新的算法，用于优化多个接收器线圈的图像组合。该算法正在考虑纳入几个供应商的图像重建管道。这是与NHLBI的Peter Kellman和Michael汉森的合作。 他与丹尼尔赖希和他在NINDS的小组成员合作开展了一个项目，该项目涉及白色物质病变的动态对比增强成像和多发性硬化症皮质病变的高分辨率解剖图像。 他继续致力于基于多回波EPI的去噪方法的开发和验证。他与NIMH的Alex Martin、Steve Gotts、Ziad Saad和Bob考克斯合作，开始了一项大规模的研究，使用任务和静息状态fMRI的多回波功能磁共振成像，将自闭症谱系障碍患者与正常对照组进行比较。 Vinai Roopchansingh： 去年，Roopchansingh博士的主要开发工作集中在帮助Souheil Inati和Joseph Naegele开发通用电气MRI扫描仪原始数据接口到ISMRMRD原始数据格式。我们已经为GE平台的两个版本（版本15 M4和DV22_O2 -由FMRIF操作和支持的两个版本的通用电气扫描仪软件）开发了ISMRMRD格式的转换层。他还为Gadgetron重建框架开发了组件，以允许从自定义MRI扫描仪脉冲序列生成DICOM图像。这允许来自自定义扫描仪序列的数据与来自供应商提供的序列的数据集成到相同的工作流程中。目前，GE扫描仪平台的两个版本上的定制B 0标测序列可以利用这些开发来生成图像。 与Joelle Sarlls合作，他现在处于展示会议中QA和重新扫描用于弥散张量成像数据采集的效用的最后阶段。数据已在匹配的正常/临床人群中收集，数据分析正在进行中，这将显示立即重新收集损坏数据的能力如何改善可以从DTI数据中得出的统计和推断。

Space Utilization: The Functional MRI Facility (FMRIF) currently occupies approximately 4800 sq. ft of space, divided between the scanner bays, control rooms and electronics/machine rooms for 3TA, 3TB, 3TC, 3TD, and 7T MRI scanners located within the NMR center and office space on the second floor above the NMR center in the FMRIF/SFIM suite (approximately 1400 sq ft total, including shared conference space). Staff: The FMRIF staff (currently 14 full time employees) consist of: the facility director, three staff scientists to keep the scanners running, six MRI technologists, an information technology specialist, a programmer, and a program assistant. The functional MRI facility supports the research of over 30 Principal Investigators translating to over 300 researchers overall. Over 70 research protocols are active and making use of FMRIF scanners. Each scanner has scheduled operating hours of 105 hours per week. Since the year 2000 until Sep 2013, a total of 884 publications have made use of the core facility. The total is divided among 586 for NIMH, 223 from NINDS, and 75 from the other institutes). These papers have been cited 60,033 times for a combined h-index of 124. This year, we have continued to increase the overall utility of the fMRI core facility. As we adjust our personnel to accommodate some budget cuts, we continue to increase efficiency and availability of cutting edge fMRI and MRI scanning capability. In particular the quality and depth of our specific collaborations with users has increased. IT accomplishments (mostly from Roark Maccado, Joe Naegele, Souheil Inati, and Sean Marrett): We created a new storage backup storage system for FMRIF and new hardware cluster with virtual-machine architecture which has improved reliability and increased on-line storage capabilities from 40TB to more than 200TB of data storage. We deployed a project management system (Redmine/Chilliproject) used in conjunction with github for project task tracking as well as collaborative science and software development efforts. Redesign of scanner utilization tracking system to use the new imaging archive database Software for automatic generation of periodic spreadsheet reports of scanner utilization in the FMRIF Lastly, we created a new project management system that has greatly improved the ability for FMRIF to collaborate scientifically and to make software efforts more efficient. 7T accomplishments: We continued development/adoption and evaluation of cutting edge pulse sequences for NIH collaborators as we improved resolution for EPI BOLD data acquisition protocols from approximately 1.6-1.8 mm3 to 1.2-1.3mm3 by using sinusoidal EPI readout pulse sequences. We continue to evaluate TSNR tradeoffs with multi-slice excitation pulse at 3T and 7T using development pulse sequences developed at The University of Minnesota. We have implemented a new eye tracking system for 7T using off-the shelf integrated illuminator and camera. In general, we have also improved physiological monitoring system on the Siemens 3T and 7T scanners. Specific Staff Scientist Accomplishments: Souheil Inati: Dr. Inati has continued to be essential for the development of Siemens pulse sequences as well as tools for performing rapid automated image reconstruction, analysis, and storage off-line. He developed a new algorithm for optimal combination of images from multiple receiver coils. This algorithm is being considered for incorporation into the image reconstruction pipelines of several vendors. This is a collaboration with Peter Kellman and Michael Hansen of NHLBI. He has collaborated with Daniel Reich and members of his group in NINDS on a project involving dynamic contrast enhanced imaging of white matter lesions and on high resolution anatomical images of cortical lesions in Multiple Sclerosis. He has continued work on development and validation of denoising methods based on multi-echo EPI. He began a large scale study using multi-echo fmri of task and resting state fmri comparing Autism Spectrum Disorder patients to typically developing normal controls in collaboration with Alex Martin, Steve Gotts, Ziad Saad and Bob Cox of NIMH. Vinai Roopchansingh: Over the last year, Dr. Roopchansinghs primary development efforts have focused on helping Souheil Inati and Joseph Naegele develop the General Electric MRI scanner raw data interface to the ISMRMRD raw data format. We have developed translation layers for two versions of the GE platform (versions 15M4, and DV22_O2 - the two versions of General Electric scanner software operated and supported by the FMRIF) to the ISMRMRD format. He has also developed components for the Gadgetron reconstruction framework to allow production of DICOM images from custom MRI scanner pulse sequences. This allowed data from custom scanner sequences to be integrated into the same workflow as data from vendor-provided sequences. Currently, a custom B0 mapping sequence on both versions of the GE scanner platform can utilize these developments to produce images. In collaboration with Joelle Sarlls, he is now in the final stages of showing the utility of the in-session QA and re-scan for Diffusion Tensor Imaging data acquisition. Data has been collected in matched normal/clinical populations, and data analysis is underway that will show how the ability to immediately re-collect corrupted data improves statistics and inferences that can be drawn from DTI data.