Development of an ultra-low field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ulf-MRI) system with high temperature superconducting magnetometers (high-Tc SQUID). Such ulf-MRI systems would be beneficial because they provide:
- Better imaging capability due to the lack of sensitivity to field imhogeneities from variations in magnetic susceptibility that plague traditional MRI systems
- A new possibility to image magnetic and metallic structures with no threat to the patient or image quality
- Increased patient comfort with an open imaging space
- Enhanced relaxation contrast for more sensitive imaging of historically difficult-to-image pathologies including, but not limited to, prostate and breast cancers
This work includes:
- Development of high-Tc detector technology optimized for field tolerance and sensitivity necessary for recording MR images
- Optimization of relevant coil systems and pulse-sequencing parameters for imaging of the human brain
Project Leader: Dag Winkler
