High-Sensitivity Flexible MRI Coils via Printed Electronics

通过印刷电子技术实现高灵敏度柔性 MRI 线圈

• 批准号: 8512499
• 负责人: Ana Claudia Arias
• 金额: $ 23.16万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-04-01 至 2015-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8512499
• 关键词: Adult; Anatomy; Ankle; Area; Caliber; Ceramics; Characteristics; Childhood; Clinical; Complex; Copper; Coupling; Custom; Deposition; Devices; Electric Capacitance; Electronics; Elements; Family; Film; Focused Ultrasound Therapy; Frequencies; Glean; Goals; Hospitals; Hybrids; Image; Infant; Ink; Intervention; Joints; Ketones; Knee; Knowledge; Lead; Limb structure; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Measures; Mechanics; Medical Device; Metals; Methods; Neck; Newborn Infant; Noise; Nylons; Particle Size; Patients; Pattern; Performance; Polyethylene Terephthalates; Polymers; Preparation; Printing; Process; Property; Protons; Radial; Research; Resistance; Resolution; Roentgen Rays; Shapes; Shoulder; Signal Transduction; Solutions; Speed; Structure; Surface; System; Techniques; Technology; Temperature; Testing; Textiles; Thick; Time; Transistors; appendage; base; cost effective; design; experience; flexibility; imaging modality; improved; innovation; insight; large print; patient population; programs; prototype; public health relevance; response; transmission process

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal aims to bring the new field of printed large-area electronics to create flexible, conforming MRI coils printed on clothlike mesh substrates. These flexible coils will fit range of patient sizes and wrap around appendages. Printed arrays can be tailored into garments, improving hospital workflow and easing patient preparation. Thin printed coils, without discrete components, can also potentially be integrated into other systems such as MR-guided high intensity focused ultrasound, MR-PET and X-ray MR. Relevance: MRI receive coil arrays provide increased signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) over standard single receivers. This excess SNR is often traded for either higher resolution or faster acquisitions. However, a poor fit negates the array's SNR gains. Most coil arrays today have a rigid or semi-rigid structure and are one-size- fits-all, whereas patients come in a variety of sizs and shapes. In fact, it is common to see coil elements offset from the anatomy to the point that the coils have poor fill-factor. This problem is exacerbated in pediatric imaging, and also around adult extremities such as ankles, knees, neck and shoulders. A conformal coil that fits well to convoluted body anatomy can lead to significant SNR gains - as high as 2x or 3x on the surface over standard rigid coils. In addition to SNR gain, ink-printed MRI coils and integrated tuning devices will reduce the number of solder/epoxy connections, improving long-term reliability of flexible coils. Finally, new materials will enable tailored integration of coils in other applicatins such as MR-guided interventions. Approach: Recently, the field of printed electronics has made breakthroughs in fabricating high-precision electronic components directly on a variety of flexible substrates by using ink-based printing techniques. Our plan is to innovate on these processes and fabricate high-sensitivity flexible MRI coils. In Aim 1, we will develop a family of MRI-compatible electronic components for designing resonant receiver coils. Specifically, we will develop non-magnetic printed coil conductors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, and thin-film transistors using conductive, insulating and semiconducting inks. These components will be fabricated onto various mesh-type fabric substrates. We will test, characterize, and validate device performance, both electrically and mechanically. In Aim 2, we will fabricate stand-alone tuned surface coils for 1.5 T and 3 T proton resonance. Based on the results from Aim 1 and Aim 2 efforts, we will design a prototype infant-sized 4-channel coil array in Aim 3. The array wil be tested for mechanical durability, resonant coupling and image quality. Summary: When completed, the proposed research program will provide a unique set of electronic materials for fabricating high-sensitivity flexible coil arrays. As a result, cost-effective custom-designed hardware for improved imaging performance will be available to a broad range of patients. This research will impact emerging applications in wearable medical devices and provide opportunities for integrating thin MRI coils with other imaging modalities.

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案旨在将印刷大面积电子产品引入新领域，以创建在布状网状基材上印刷的灵活、一致的 MRI 线圈。这些柔性线圈适合各种体型的患者并缠绕在肢体上。打印阵列可以定制成服装，改善医院工作流程并简化患者准备工作。无需分立元件的薄印刷线圈也可以集成到其他系统中，例如 MR 引导的高强度聚焦超声、MR-PET 和 X 射线 MR。相关性：MRI 接收线圈阵列比标准单个接收器具有更高的信噪比 (SNR)。这种超额的信噪比通常可以换取更高的分辨率或更快的采集速度。然而，不合适的配合会抵消阵列的 SNR 增益。如今，大多数线圈阵列都具有刚性或半刚性结构，并且是一刀切的，而患者的体型和体型却多种多样。事实上，线圈元件从解剖结构上偏移到线圈填充因子较差的程度是很常见的。这个问题在儿科成像以及成人四肢（例如脚踝、膝盖、颈部和肩部）周围更为严重。非常适合复杂身体解剖结构的保形线圈可以带来显着的 SNR 增益 - 表面上的 SNR 比标准刚性线圈高 2 倍或 3 倍。除了信噪比增益之外，墨水印刷的 MRI 线圈和集成调谐装置还将减少焊接/环氧树脂连接的数量，从而提高柔性线圈的长期可靠性。最后，新材料将使线圈能够在其他应用中进行定制集成，例如磁共振引导干预。途径：最近，印刷电子领域在直接在各种柔性材料上制造高精度电子元件方面取得了突破 使用基于油墨的印刷技术来印刷基材。我们的计划是对这些工艺进行创新，制造高灵敏度柔性 MRI 线圈。在目标 1 中，我们将开发一系列与 MRI 兼容的电子元件，用于设计谐振接收器线圈。具体来说，我们将使用导电、绝缘和半导体油墨开发非磁性印刷线圈导体、电感器、电容器、二极管和薄膜晶体管。这些组件将被制造到各种网状织物基材上。我们将测试、表征和验证设备的电气和机械性能。在目标 2 中，我们将制造用于 1.5 T 和 3 T 质子共振的独立调谐表面线圈。基于目标 1 和目标 2 的成果，我们将在目标 3 中设计一个婴儿大小的 4 通道线圈阵列原型。该阵列将进行机械耐久性、谐振耦合和图像质量测试。摘要：完成后，拟议的研究计划将提供一套独特的电子材料，用于制造高灵敏度柔性线圈阵列。因此，广大患者将可以获得具有成本效益的定制设计硬件，以提高成像性能。这项研究将影响可穿戴医疗设备的新兴应用，并为将薄型 MRI 线圈与其他成像方式集成提供机会。