EDUHF-LAB MRI - A German-Korean laboratory for training, development and research in Ultra-high field whole-body MRI-technology

The EDUHF-LAB MRI project is an international collaboration between the Department of Biometrics and Medical Informatics of the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg and the Neuroscience Research Institute der Gachon University of Medicine and Science in Incheon South Korea. The aim of this project is to establish a joint virtual laboratory for research and development in ultra high field (UHF) MRI technology.

Figure

SAR simulation of a whole-body MRI System

Scientific Background

As ultra high field (UHF) (7 Tesla and higher) MR scanners are increasingly worldwide installed or planned it becomes obvious that new fundamental issues have to be solved compared to MR scanners with lower field strengths. UHF requires new technical solutions both on hardware and software level (RF-coils, B1-mapping, reconstruction algorithms, post- processing, etc.) The 7T whole-body MRI-system in South Korea is one of the world`s leading UHF sites. It is planned to extend this expertise by building an MR scanner for humans with the highest field available at this time (14T whole-body MRI-system).

Project and Objectives

The EDUHF-LAB project aims to participate and contribute to this cut-edge technology by establishing a joint lab for further development, know-how transfer, and training in UHF MRI technology. The vision of the project is the enduring collaboration in form of a distributed but unified UHF laboratory between Germany and South Korea in the field of UHF technology. This joint lab will be the nucleus of a long-lasting network for the further development of UHF MRI in both countries. The infrastructure, the optimized expertise in hardware and software and training programs, are the long-term guarantee of the continued expansion of this network. The results of this project will be provided in joint publications for the scientific community, in order to support the UHF MRI for research and clinical applications.

Aspects of Research Structure

The EDUHF lab will consist of 3 parts:

  1. Development: design, construction and characterization of new RF coils capable for UHF MRI Systems,
  2. Evaluation: evaluating of the hardware and new concepts,
  3. Serving as a training unit for students and researchers: The main contribution of Magdeburg University will be the expertise in the EM field simulation.

 Project website

http://www.eduhf.ovgu.de/eduhf/en/EDUHF_LAB+MRI.html

Funded in the context of the BMBF funding programme to establish joint research structures of German universities with partners in APRA. More information on APRA.