I-Corps: Acousto-optical RF Field Sensor for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

I-Corps：用于磁共振成像的声光射频场传感器

• 批准号: 1914574
• 负责人: Levent Degertekin
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-03-15 至 2020-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1914574&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Acousto; optical; RF; Field

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to improve the safety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures by sensing the radio frequency (RF) signals during interventional and diagnostic procedures. During interventional procedures, especially critical for children who cannot be imaged using X-rays, this sensor provides the location and orientation of devices, such as catheters, inside the patient's body to guide the physicians. Since an acousto-optical sensor is used, this information transfer is achieved with no adverse effects, such as RF heating. During diagnostic procedures, the sensor can help quantify the RF field exposure of the patient in real-time, preventing excessive tissue heating. Furthermore, it may enable imaging of patients with medical implants who are not currently imaged by MRI due to safety concerns. As a commercial product, the sensor will potentially decrease the costs for all the stake-holders within the health industry (hospitals, insurance companies, governmental institutions, etc.) while decreasing the risk to the patients and improving health outcomes.This I-Corps project is based on a radio frequency (RF) safe acousto-optical sensor to locally measure the RF field in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which in turn provides the signals to track the interventional devices like catheters and needles during interventional procedures under MRI as well as to measure RF energy exposure of the patient. The main safety concern with MRI is RF heating due to metal cables required to carry the signal from an antenna to the outside system. The solution here is replacing all the metal cables with optical glass fiber, which eliminates the RF heating. To convert the RF signal into optical modulation, a compact acousto-optic sensor is used as an intermediate medium between the antenna and the optical fiber. This is achieved by exciting a piezoelectric transducer on an optical fiber with the RF signal generated by miniature MRI coils and antennas which in turn generates acoustic waves in the optical fiber. Since the signal is generated and transmitted over an optical fiber to the MRI system without any conductors, this eliminates the RF heating safety issue. The sensor prototype has been successfully bench tested and proof of principle for interventional procedures has been demonstrated.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过在介入和诊断程序中感测射频（RF）信号来提高磁共振成像（MRI）程序的安全性。在介入过程中，对于不能使用X射线成像的儿童尤其重要，该传感器提供了设备（例如导管）在患者体内的位置和方向来指导医生。由于使用了声学传感器，因此可以在没有不利影响的情况下实现此信息传输，例如RF加热。在诊断过程中，传感器可以实时量化患者的RF场暴露，从而防止组织过多。此外，由于安全问题而导致目前未由MRI成像的医疗植入物患者进行成像。 As a commercial product, the sensor will potentially decrease the costs for all the stake-holders within the health industry (hospitals, insurance companies, governmental institutions, etc.) while decreasing the risk to the patients and improving health outcomes.This I-Corps project is based on a radio frequency (RF) safe acousto-optical sensor to locally measure the RF field in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which in turn provides the signals to track the interventional在MRI下进行介入过程中的导管和针等设备，以及测量患者的RF能量暴露。 MRI的主要安全问题是由于将信号从天线传递到外部系统所需的金属电缆引起的RF加热。这里的解决方案是用光学玻璃纤维代替所有金属电缆，从而消除了RF加热。为了将RF信号转换为光学调制，将紧凑的声学传感器用作天线和光纤之间的中间介质。这是通过在光纤上激发压电传​​感器，并通过微型MRI线圈和天线产生的RF信号在光纤上激发了压电换能器，从而实现了这一目标，从而在光纤中产生声波。由于信号是在没有任何导体的情况下通过光纤通过光纤传输到MRI系统的，因此消除了RF加热安全问题。传感器原型已成功进行了测试，并已证明了介入程序的原则证明。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准，被认为值得通过评估来提供支持。