Establishment of highly-optimized imaging techniques and quality control procedures for ultrahigh-field MRI

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26350471
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social systems engineering/Safety system
• Research Institution: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ueguchi Takashi 国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構, 脳情報通信融合研究センター脳機能解析研究室, 主任研究員 (80403070)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山田 幸子 大阪大学, 医学部附属病院, 診療放射線技師 (40623054)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: MRI / 磁気共鳴 / 超高磁場 / 撮像技術 / 画質評価 / 品質管理 / 断層画像 / ファントム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

MRI is a tomographic technique that uses both magnetic fields and radiofrequency (RF) waves. Ultrahigh-field MRI, which uses a very strong main magnetic field such as 7 tesla, offers a benefit of high sensitivity to the signal measurements. However, the present use of ultrahigh-field MRI is often limited by technical issues, such as increased inhomogeneity of both the main magnetic field and RF fields, increased RF power deposition within subjects, changes in tissue contrast, and enhanced susceptibility to subjects' motion. Further, quality control procedures (e.g., for image quality assessment) have not been established. In this study, we investigated highly-optimized imaging techniques and quality control procedures for 7 tesla brain imaging, which is typical of current ultrahigh-field MRI.

Free Research Field

医学物理学