A Self-Tuning Liquid Metal Coil Conforming to Movement for High-Resolution Brachial Plexus MRI

适合高分辨率臂丛 MRI 运动的自调节液态金属线圈

• 批准号: 10453862
• 负责人: Darryl Sneag
• 金额: $ 73.1万
• 依托单位: WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-05-16 至 2026-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10453862
• 关键词: 3-Dimensional; Address; Adopted; Anatomy; Architecture; Axilla; Brachial Plexus Neuropathies; Brachial plexus structure; Breast; Caliber; Characteristics; Chest wall structure; Clinical; Complex; Data; Diagnosis; Diffusion; Digit structure; Dimensions; Economics; Electric Capacitance; Electromagnetics; Elements; Engineering; Ensure; Etiology; Evaluation; Foundations; Frequencies; Geometry; Goals; Hip region structure; Iatrogenesis; Image; Imaging Phantoms; In Vitro; Individual; Inflammatory; Inguinal region; Joints; Knee; Limb structure; Liquid substance; Magnetic Resonance; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Measurement; Meniscus structure of joint; Metals; Morphology; Movement; Musculoskeletal; Neck; Nerve; Nerve Fibers; Noise; Operative Surgical Procedures; Outcome; Pain; Pathology; Patient imaging; Patients; Pelvis; Peripheral Nerves; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Positioning Attribute; Protocols documentation; Regional Anatomy; Research; Resolution; Rotation; Shoulder; Side; Signal Transduction; Skin; Special Hospitals; Stretching; Structure; Technology; Testing; Thoracic Outlet Syndrome; Three-Dimensional Imaging; Upper Extremity; Visualization; Work; arm; clinical decision-making; collaborative environment; design; design and construction; flexibility; improved; innovation; medical schools; multidisciplinary; neurovascular; novel; novel imaging technology; prototype; psychologic; radio frequency; simulation; soft tissue

PROJECT SUMMARY Abnormality of the brachial plexus (BP), i.e. brachial plexopathy, can result in profound functional, psychological and economic consequences. Dedicated peripheral nerve MRI, or MR neurography (MRN), is an important adjunct to the physical exam and electrodiagnostic testing to evaluate brachial plexopathies, and influences clinically decision making, including surgical planning, and outcomes. MRN affords direct visualization of individual nerves and their relationship to osseus and soft tissue structures but suffers from insufficient spatial resolution (~1.0mm-isotropic) resulting from poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This is largely due to the inherently concave anatomy of the neck-shoulder junction that precludes close proximity of conventional MRI coils to the skin. The inherent, complex branching and intertwining anatomy of the BP requires higher spatial resolution (~0.5 mm-isotropic) than possible with current radiofrequency (RF) coils. Current RF coils are either rigid or not adequately flexible, and do not conform to the curvatures of the neck, shoulder and axillary regions. We will develop novel, non-toxic, robust liquid metal RF coil technology to enable the design of a conformal and flexible neck-BP array. This design will ensure that coil elements conform to the body contour (to maximize SNR) in their entirety and with the arm in different positions. The characteristics of bendability and form-fitting stretchability are feasible with liquid metal technology, but this technology has not been previously implemented commercially. This project proposes the design and construction of a dedicated RF coil array for brachial plexus MRN, to enable higher spatial-resolution and 3D imaging, with unprecedented detail, in patients with clinically suspected thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). We will systematically evaluate liquid metal coils against standard coils for BP MRN. We hypothesize that the achievable spatial resolution will be ~0.5 mm isotropic, greater than the ~1 mm isotropic currently achieved with commercial coils, and will therefore better depict regional anatomy and pathology. Impact: The proposed research will not only address TOS but will also facilitate evaluation of (1) other brachial plexopathies and more peripheral neuropathies (of traumatic, inflammatory, iatrogenic etiologies, e.g.), and (2) other complex/curved anatomies including the breast/chest wall region, perineal/groin region, and digits. This technology would also facilitate dynamic imaging of the extremities to elucidate pathology such as femoroacetabular impingement (hip), ligamentous laxity (multiple joints), and meniscal incompetence (knee), not borne out with conventional, static MRI.

项目概要 臂丛神经 (BP) 异常，即臂丛神经病，可导致严重的功能性、 心理和经济后果。专用周围神经 MRI 或 MR 神经造影 (MRN) 是一种 体检和电诊断测试的重要辅助手段，以评估臂丛神经病，以及 影响临床决策，包括手术计划和结果。 MRN 提供直接可视化 单个神经及其与骨和软组织结构的关系，但空间不足 由于信噪比 (SNR) 较差而导致分辨率（~1.0mm 各向同性）。这很大程度上是由于其固有的 颈肩连接处的凹形解剖结构阻碍了传统 MRI 线圈与颈部的紧密接触 皮肤。 BP 固有的、复杂的分支和交织的解剖结构需要更高的空间分辨率 （~0.5 毫米各向同性）比当前射频 (RF) 线圈所能达到的效果要高。当前的射频线圈要么是刚性的，要么是非刚性的 具有足够的柔韧性，并且不符合颈部、肩部和腋窝区域的曲率。 我们将开发新颖、无毒、坚固的液态金属射频线圈技术，以实现 适形且灵活的颈-BP 阵列。这种设计将确保线圈元件符合身体轮廓（以 最大限度地提高信噪比（SNR）），并且手臂处于不同的位置。弯曲性能及特性 液态金属技术可以实现贴合的拉伸性，但该技术以前从未被采用过 商业化实施。该项目提出设计和构建专用射频线圈阵列 臂丛神经 MRN，为患者提供更高的空间分辨率和 3D 成像，具有前所未有的细节 临床怀疑胸廓出口综合征（TOS）。我们将系统地评估液态金属卷材 与 BP MRN 的标准线圈相比。我们假设可实现的空间分辨率约为 0.5 毫米 各向同性，大于目前商用线圈实现的约 1 毫米各向同性，因此会更好 描绘局部解剖学和病理学。 影响：拟议的研究不仅将解决 TOS，还将促进对 (1) 其他肱骨的评估 神经丛病和更多周围神经病（例如创伤性、炎症性、医源性病因），以及 (2) 其他复杂/弯曲的解剖结构，包括乳房/胸壁区域、会阴/腹股沟区域和手指。这 技术还将促进四肢的动态成像，以阐明病理学，例如 股骨髋臼撞击（髋关节）、韧带松弛（多个关节）和半月板功能不全（膝关节），而非 传统的静态 MRI 证实了这一点。