Optimized radiofrequency coils for increased signal-to-noise ratio in magnetic resonance microscopy

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a major obstacle to achieving increased resolution in magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM). The SNR considerations for MRM are presented, with particular attention to the role of judicious receiver coil design in maximizing sensitivity and limiting noise contributions both from the sample and the coil. We present a number of different coil configurations that have been optimized for particular applications of MRM in the biological sciences. An overview of the literature regarding derivations of the SNR for birdcage-configuration volume coils, inductively coupled surface coils, and surgically implanted coils is presented in a unified fashion. Microscopy coils designed to reduce the total volume of excitation, thus coupling more closely to a given region of interest, are discussed. The volume coil is presented in terms of its application to lung imaging in small animals at 2 T and imaging of stroke at 7 T. The performance of traditional surface coils is demonstrated by application to spinal cord imaging in the rat. Finally, implanted coils are examined, as used in studies of the carotid arteries. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 8, 277–284, 1997     

Comparison of statistical methods in MR imaging

The problem of recovering the true underlying scene from a noisy image is considered. Several methods are compared empirically by applying them to magnetic resonance (MR) images. It turns out that a simple method, the Gaussian window filter, gives good results. This method requires only “instantaneous” processing.     

基于NSGA-II遗传算法的磁流变悬置多目标优化

磁流变悬置集总参数优化是设计高性能发动机悬置的关键。为克服以往悬置优化中优化目标单一、优化目标选取不合理、未考虑实际加工可行性等问题,建立单自由度磁流变悬置隔振系统数学模型,提出倍程区间灵敏度分析法,对各集总参数灵敏度进行分析,并以此为依据选取优化变量。以发动机常用转速激振频率段的力传递率积分为优化目标,采用改进型非支配排序遗传算法(NSGA-II)进行多目标优化。在一定范围内将结构尺寸进行离散化处理,计算各组离散尺寸对应的集总参数值,以离散集总参数与集总参数Pareto非劣解之间的综合距离为准则筛选最优解。     

Optimization of the frequency characteristics of loop oscillographic galvanometers

Conclusions The relationship of the integral distortion factors of amplitude-frequency characteristics and the damping of loop oscillographic galvanometers to the position of dampers was obtained experimentally. It was also found that by means of two pairs of dampers it is possible to obtain virtually undistorted amplitude-frequency characteristics.     

Finite element analysis of tissue deformation with a radiofrequency ablation electrode for strain imaging

Recent studies have shown that radiofrequency (RF) electrode displacement or deformation-based strain imaging can be used as an alternate imaging modality to monitor and to evaluate ablative therapies for liver tumors. This paper describes a biomechanical model used to study RF electrode deformation-based strain imaging, in conjunction with a simulated medical ultrasound linear array transducer. The computer simulations reported here are important steps toward understanding this biomechanical system in vivo, thus providing a basis for improving system design, including the motion tracking algorithm and image guidance for performing RF electrode displacement-strain imaging in vivo.     

关于前列腺经直肠实时灰阶超声谐波造影技术的现状及思考

1研究的重要性 前列腺癌在欧美国家是第二位高发病率的男性恶性实体肿瘤,死亡率仅次于肺癌.在国内随着前列腺特异性抗原检测的广泛应用,前列腺癌的患病率似乎愈来愈高,在我科几乎每周均遇到在超声引导下穿刺活检确诊的前列腺癌病例.     

Use of Helmholtz coils for magnetic measurements

Helmholtz coils can be used for the measurement of open-circuit magnetization of most permanent magnet materials. The author describes the physics of the measurement, lists the materials that can be measured, derives the coil constant, and derives a correction factor for the measurement of arc magnets. A measurement is made by placing the magnet at the center of the coils, and zeroing the integrating voltmeter or fluxmeter. The magnet is then removed from the coil, parallel to the coil axis, to a distance such that the sample has no influence on the reading, typically 75 to 100 cm. The open-circuit magnetization of the sample is related to the time-integrated voltage     

Multi‐contrast MR image denoising for parallel imaging using multilayer perceptron

For clinical diagnosis in MRI, multiple examinations are commonly performed to acquire various contrast images. This article presents a learning‐based denoising method for parallel imaging to enhance the quality of multi‐contrast images so that the imaging time can be accelerated highly. Multi‐contrast images share structural information and coil geometry. The proposed method adopts the multilayer perceptron (MLP) model to save the sharable and redundant information among the multi‐contrast images. The images are divided into patches, which are used as the input and output of MLP. A geometry factor map is additionally used to provide noise amplification information of the accelerated MR images. Computer simulation demonstrates that the use of multi‐contrast images and geometry factor contributes to the quality of the reconstructed images. The proposed method reconstructs high‐quality images without impairing details from the subsampled intermediate images, and it shows better results than previous denoising methods.     

Rapid method for assessing relative tissue stiffness using MR acoustic radiation force imaging

Acoustic radiation force imaging (ARFI) has been suggested as a tool for remote palpation. In this study an MR‐ARFI sequence, based on echo‐planar‐imaging, is introduced, for remote semi‐quantitative assessment of local tissue stiffness. The focal zone of a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is positioned at the region of interest and a single HIFU burst is transmitted. The method then measures the entire time integral of the resulting displacement at the focal zone. Combining this measurement with the Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic tissue model, a local stiffness index is obtained. The method was implemented on gel phantoms, ex‐vivo bovine brain and chicken liver specimens. The results have demonstrated the ability to evaluate the relative local stiffness within 600 ms and to distinguish between different tissues on the basis of their stiffness index. The method may potentially be used for remote palpation of suspicious regions for diagnostic purposes, or for providing a mechanical feedback during therapeutic procedures, such as thermal ablation.     

A modified POCS‐based reconstruction method for compressively sampled MR imaging

One of the challenging tasks in the application of compressed sensing to magnetic resonance imaging is the reconstruction algorithm that can faithfully recover the MR image from randomly undersampled k‐space data. The nonlinear recovery algorithms based on iterative shrinkage start with a single initial guess and use soft‐thresholding to recover the original MR image from the partial Fourier data. This article presents a novel method based on projection onto convex set (POCS) algorithm but it takes two images and then randomly combines them at each iteration to estimate the original MR image. The performance of the proposed method is validated using the original data taken from the MRI scanner at St. Mary's Hospital, London. The experimental results show that the proposed method can reconstruct the original MR image from variable density undersampling scheme in less number of iterations and exhibits better performance in terms of improved signal‐to‐noise ratio, artifact power, and correlation as compared to the reconstruction through low‐resolution and POCS algorithms. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 24, 203–207, 2014     

Design of optimal measuring coils for magnetic measurements

Measurement Techniques -     

Optimization of structural similarity in mathematical imaging

Optimization and Engineering - It is now generally accepted that Euclidean-based metrics may not always adequately represent the subjective judgement of a human observer. As a result, many image...     

Prediction of impedance components for eddy-current probe coils for standardization

Predictions are made with a view to standardizing the indications of eddy-current flaw detectors having finite-length air-cored surface probes. Excellent agreement with measurements has been obtained. Difficulties arising with the uses of ferrite-cored probes and the testing of ferrous metals are discussed.     

Methotrexate-immobilized poly(ethylene glycol) magnetic nanoparticles for MR imaging and drug delivery

We report the development of a biostable methotrexate-immobilized iron oxide nanoparticle drug carrier that may potentially be used for real-time monitoring of drug delivery through magnetic resonance imaging. Methotrexate (MTX) was immobilized on the nanoparticle surface via a poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayer (PEG SAM). The cytotoxicity of the nanoparticle-drug conjugate (NP-PEG-MTX) to target cells was studied with 9L glioma cells. Cellular uptake experiments showed that the uptake of NP-PEG-MTX conjugates by glioma cells was considerably higher than that of control nanoparticles. Magnetic resonance imaging in 9L cells cultured with NP-PEG-MTX of various concentrations showed significant contrast enhancement. NP-PEG-MTX demonstrated higher cytotoxicity in 9L cells to free MTX in vitro. Leucovorin, an MTX antidote, was used to rescue the cells that had been exposed to NP-PEG-MTX or free MTX, and the experiment verified the biocompatibility of NP-PEG-MTX conjugates and the MTX on NP-PEG-MTX conjugates to be the true source of the cytotoxicity to the target cells. TEM results showed that NP-PEG-MTX conjugates were internalized into the 9L cellular cytoplasm and retained its crystal structure therein for up to 144 h, as identified by electron diffraction. This prolonged particle retention may allow physicians to image tumor cells exposed to the NP-PEG-MTX conjugate over an extended therapeutic time course.     

高层建筑磁流变阻尼器风振半主动控制系统的优化

风振控制是高层建筑结构抗风设计的一项重要内容。本文对磁流变阻尼器半主动控制系统进行了优化设计 ,首先对基于现代控制理论的半主动控制算法进行了讨论 ,通过模拟分析 ,比较了分别基于经典线性最优控制算法和瞬时最优控制算法下控制系统的控制效果 ;其次对控制律的选取进行了研究 ,通过算例分析 ,对分别采用“开 -关”型控制律和改进型控制律时 ,系统的控制效果进行了比较分析。通过选择合适的控制算法和控制律 ,使控制系统达到优化。     

磁共振成像交替阻抗微带线射频线圈仿真分析

为研究改变交替阻抗微带线射频线圈的几何尺寸对感兴趣区内磁场分布的影响,保持微带线射频线圈总长度不变,改变宽带与窄带的长度比例和宽度比例,在HFSS中建立交替阻抗微带线射频线圈的仿真模型,与传统微带线射频线圈进行比较,利用ADS与HFSS的协同仿真实现线圈的调谐和匹配.仿真结果表明交替阻抗微带线射频线圈感兴趣区内的磁场均值比传统微带线射频线圈的提高了一倍以上.调整交替阻抗微带线射频线圈的宽带与窄带的长度比例和宽度比例,可以提高感兴趣区内的磁场强度,同时改善磁场分布的均匀性.     

MR imaging of Her-2/neu protein using magnetic nanoparticles

The aim of this study was to assess whether Her-2/neu expressing tumour cells can be detected in vitro as well as in animal tumour models with magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5?T. Magnetic nanoparticles (with relaxivities R 1, R 2 of 3.7 ± 0.4?(mM?s)(-1), 277 ± 32?(mM?s)(-1) at 21?°C, respectively) coupled to anti-Her-2/neu antibodies or gamma globulin IgG (high or non-affinity probe, respectively) were used. After incubation of Her-2/neu expressing cells (SKBR3) with high or non-affinity probes (20?min), values of R 1 = 0.34 ± 0.02?(mM?s)(-1) and R 2 = 63.02 ± 30?(mM?s)(-1) were obtained. Electron microscopy and atomic absorption spectrometry examinations verified the presence of relatively high iron levels in cells incubated with the high affinity probe compared to controls. For in vivo MRI, high or non-affinity probes (≈1.7?mg Fe/animal) were injected into the tail vein of mice (n = 16) bearing SKBR3 tumours. A distinct decrease in the normalized MR signal ratio between tumour and reference area (approximately -17 ± 2%) after application of the high affinity probe was observed. In conclusion, in vivo detection of Her-2/neu expressing tumours is feasible in a clinical MR scanner by using immunoconjugated magnetic nanoparticles.