Novel Software Tools for Rational Design and Assessment of MR Coils

项目摘要/摘要 用于磁流变线圈合理设计和评估的新型软件工具 这个项目的目标是开发一个全面的软件包，用于设计和评估 用于磁共振成像(MRI)的射频(RF)线圈。通过直觉的方式 图形用户界面，RF工程师将能够设计高性能的接收和发射线圈阵列， 根据特定的成像任务定制单个元素的形状，并将它们最佳地排列在周围 感兴趣的对象，这要归功于对线圈性能的准确预测。我们还将制定标准化的 根据明确定义的理论性能限制对线圈进行定量评估的评估协议，这些限制包括 通过应用电动力学原理计算，并提供绝对参考，独立于任何 独特的线圈几何形状。我们将把各种软件工具集成到一个模块化和灵活的软件中 架构，这将使其他研究人员能够添加扩展和开发独立的应用程序。我们 将通过测试版网络验证模拟工具的准确性并评估软件实用程序 测试员。除了线圈设计，我们的全面封装将能够测试新的脉冲序列和 图像重建算法，使严谨发展的新思想为科学工作者所接受 社区，包括那些无法使用核磁共振系统的人。最终软件，这将是公开的 通过专用网站分发，并提供超出项目持续时间的维护计划 成为一个无价的工具，将积极影响医学成像领域，使整个 社区。

Project Summary/Abstract Novel Software Tools for Rational Design and Assessment of MR coils The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive software package for the design and evaluation of radiofrequency (RF) coils for applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). By means of an intuitive graphical user interface, RF engineers will be able to design highly performing receive and transmit coil arrays, tailoring the shape of the individual elements to the specific imaging task and optimally arranging them around the object of interest, thanks to accurate predictions of coil performance. We will also develop standardized evaluation protocols to quantitatively assess coils against well-defined theoretical performance limits, which are calculated by applying electrodynamics principles and provide an absolute reference, independent on any particular coil geometry. We will integrate various software tools into a modular and flexible software architecture, which will enable other researchers to add extensions and develop stand-alone applications. We will validate the accuracy of the simulation tools and evaluate the software utility through a network of beta testers. In addition to coil design, our comprehensive package will enable to test novel pulse sequences and image reconstruction algorithms, making rigorous development of new ideas accessible to the scientific community, including those with no access to MRI systems. The final software, which will be publicly distributed through a dedicated website with a maintenance plan beyond the duration of the project, will become an invaluable tool that will positively impact the field of medical imaging, with benefits for the entire community.