短腔自屏蔽核磁共振成像超导磁体的设计

本文提出了一种短腔自屏蔽核磁共振成像(MRI)超导磁体的设计方法.先将矩形截面螺线管线圈简化成截面为一个点的电流环,得到一个线性规划模型,采用线性规划的方法得到合适的线圈位置和电流大小,然后再利用遗传算法对线圈的截面形状进行优化,得到合适的线圈截面尺寸.线性规划的引入,减少了优化变量,降低了优化规模,结合遗传算法,使得短腔自屏蔽MRI超导磁体设计变得简单易行.文章最后给出了一个设计算例.     

基于0-1整数线性规划的自屏蔽磁共振成像超导磁体设计

本文提出一种基于0-1整数线性规划的自屏蔽磁共振成像（MRI）超导磁体设计方法．在磁体线圈可行载流区内按照所用线材尺寸划分网格,同时综合考虑线材内最大磁感应强度、成像区磁场均匀度、漏场范围等设计要求,以超导线材使用量最小为目标函数,采用0—1整数线性规划算法得到磁体线圈的初始导线集中区块分布;然后通过合理的调整限制各分离导线区块截面尺寸及其中心位置,得到最终易于实际加工和绕制的矩形磁体线圈结构．并根据不同的约束要求,该方法也适用于其他结构超导磁体的优化设计．文中最后给出一个设计实例．     

1.5 T关节磁共振成像超导磁体的设计、制作与测试

磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging,MRI)是当今世界上最先进的医学影像技术之一,现阶段MRI技术正朝着成像质量更清晰、功能更强大、效率更高、个体化更强的趋势发展.与全身MRI设备相比,专科型MRI设备具有体积小、重量轻、成本低、病人舒适度高、成像质量高、功能更强等优点.但是关节专用超导MRI系统需要长度方向上被严格限制的超导磁体在160 mm直径球域(diameter sphere volume,DSV)内产生高均匀度的磁场.本文综合考虑了超导线用量、中心磁感应强度和成像区磁场不均匀度等因素,使用0-1规划和遗传算法相结合的方法设计了一种非屏蔽型1.5 T关节MRI超导磁体,该磁体的室温孔径为280 mm,总长度为520 mm,液氦量为30 L,载流区最大磁场为5.48 T,5高斯线范围为径向3.2 m、轴向2.6 m,160 mm DSV的磁场不均匀度设计值为22 ppm,考虑加工误差及冷缩因素,磁体加工完成并经过被动匀场后的预估值为60 ppm.经过绕制、固化、组装、焊接等工序,该磁体已制作完成.经过3次锻炼后成功励磁到1.5 T,经过被动匀场后160 mm DSV的磁场不均匀度达到50 ppm,各项指标均达到设计目标.     

开放式自屏蔽全身成像高场超导MRI磁体优化设计

本文发展了开放式自屏蔽全身成像高场超导磁共振成像（MRI）磁体的优化设计方法,使设计出来的磁体仅有4 对超导线圈. 这种开放结构的超导MRI磁体优化设计方法集成了线性规划算法和遗传算法. 通过迭代线性规划算法可以在考虑成像区域（DSV）磁感应强度约束、磁场不均匀度约束、5 Gs线范围约束、线圈区域最大磁场值约束和最大环向应力约束的条件下,获得用线量最少的线圈初始形状和位置,同时可以得到每个线圈的层数和每层匝数;通过遗传算法可以提高DSV区域的磁场不均匀度,以达到高质量成像的要求. 这种集成的优化设计方法既可以灵活有效的设计开放式MRI磁体,也可以设计传统的圆柱形MRI磁体,本文通过一个1.2 T的开放式MRI磁体的设计清楚的展示了这种优化方法. 关键词： 线性规划算法 遗传算法 自屏蔽 开放式超导MRI磁体     

高场超导MRI系统铁磁屏蔽的几何优化

磁共振成像（MRI）系统是一种重要的医学影像诊断设备,它根据核磁共振原理对处于静磁场中的人体器官进行成像,具有清晰度高和任意层面成像等优点,在医学检查和诊断方面有着重要的作用,与低场MRI相比,高场MRI系统可提高质子的磁化率,增加图像的信噪比,缩短MRI信号采集时间,从而使脑功能成像的信号变化更为明显;但是较高的背景...     

14T MRI大口径全身自屏蔽超导磁体的一种优化设计方法

磁共振成像(MRI)的磁体设计首先是确保中心成像区的场值和均匀性, 二是尽可能减少场值耗散的距离即漏磁5Gs 线. 基于此本文提出了一种线性与非线性规划联合优化的方法. 首先将导体作为基本单元, 在预布置线圈的空间范围内构建二维连续导体网格. 通过线性规划搜索满足磁场约束条件的网格电流分布图. 再将存在电流的网格离散为一个个矩形线圈区域, 在保证场值均匀性、 杂散场5 Gs 线范围以及线圈位置间隔、 导体超导线安全裕度的前提下利用非线性规划, 具体确定各个线圈的轴向和径向位置、 线圈内导体层数和各层匝数以及通电流大小等. 采用这种联合优化方法, 不仅节省优化时间, 还可以自行设计线圈形状有利于工程实现. 文中由此方法给出了14 T MRI 磁体的一种设计方案, 依靠4 组线圈使得45 cm 中心球形成像内不均匀度降低到5 ppm, 而高场耗散的5 Gs 线通过磁体自屏蔽减小到15 m 以内. 满足了设计的要求.     

台式磁共振成像系统的研制

自行开发了一套专门用于演示磁共振成像原理的教学用磁共振成像系统. 本文详细介绍了本系统的硬件结构与软件思路,并对各个功能部件给出主要性能参数,最后给出常规MRI实验结果.     

光纤耦合自混合干涉测速系统的参数研究

针对光纤耦合自混合干涉测速系统的设计,采用F-P五镜腔模型分析了自混合干涉测速的基本原理,利用数值计算软件MATLAB研究了系统中各个参数对自混合信号波形的影响。对参数引起自混合信号波形“畸变”的情况,进行了参数的优化设计。为光纤耦合自混合测速系统设计,以及将其应用于爆轰波和冲击波研究中进行高速测量提供了参考。     

磁共振成像系统中的自动梯度预加重调节方法研究

提出了一种利用核磁共振信号测量梯度涡流,然后通过拟合、迭代程序快速找到最佳预加重参数的方法．该方法通过预先寻找信号区,确保了测得数据的可靠性,实现了梯度预加重参数的自动设置,可在大约10 min内得到较好的补偿效果．通过在OPM35I型低场磁共振系统中的具体实验,证明该方法简单、有效．     

基于相位差混合处理方法的高分辨力成像技术

为了提高成像系统的分辨能力, 并尽量减小系统的复杂度, 本文将相位差波前探测技术和相位差图像恢复技术结合起来构成相位差混合处理方法, 给出了点目标和扩展目标情况下混合处理方法的数值仿真结果, 并针对点目标情况进行了实验验证. 实验表明, 在像差较大的情况下, 直接用事后处理方法无法得到满意的结果. 在三种湍流强度下, 经混合方法处理后得到光斑的半高宽分别由自适应光学系统校正后的5.1, 5.1和5.0个像素减小到3.3, 3.2和3.0个像素. 可以看出, 利用相位差混合处理方法得到的图像明显优于单独的事后图像处理方法和自适应光学校正, 相位差混合处理方法在高分辨力成像领域有着巨大的应用潜力.     

A novel approach to designing cylindrical-surface shimcoils for a superconducting magnet of magnetic resonance imaging

For a superconducting magnet of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the novel approach presented in this paper allows the design of cylindrical gradient and shim coils of finite length. The method is based on identification of the weighting of harmonic components in the current distribution that will generate a magnetic field whose z-component follows a chosen spherical harmonic function. Mathematical expressions which relate the harmonic terms in the cylindrical current distribution to spherical harmonic terms in the field expansion are established. Thus a simple matrix inversion approach can be used to design a shim coil of any order pure harmonic. The expressions providing a spherical harmonic decomposition of the field components produced by a particular cylindrical current distribution are novel. A stream function was applied to obtain the discrete wire distribution on the cylindrical-surface. This method does not require the setting of the target-field points. The discussion referring to matrix equations in terms of condition numbers proves that this novel approach has no ill-conditioned problems. The results also indicate that it can be used to design cylindrical-surface shim coils of finite length that will generate a field variation which follows a particular spherical harmonic over a reasonably large-sized volume.     

使用改进的形状优化方法设计高均匀度的超导MRI磁体

针对设计带铁磁的超导磁共振成像磁体,提出了一种确定类的优化算法来优化极靴的形状以达到匀场的目的。这种方法集合了灵敏度分析、形状优化的理论和有限元方法计算非线性铁磁材料极靴的配置,来改善两个极靴之间大体积成像区的磁场均匀度。需要指出的是,本优化方法不受极靴初始形状的限制,均可以快速收敛。我们通过一个紧凑型的1.2T双平面磁共振磁体,展示了这种方法。     

A novel acquisition-reconstruction algorithm for surface magnetic resonance imaging

In U-shaped, hand-size magnetic resonance surface scanners, imaging is performed along only one spatial direction, with the application of just one gradient (one-dimensional imaging). Lateral spatial resolution can be obtained by magnet displacement, but, in this case, resolution is very poor (on the order of some millimeters) and cannot be useful for high-resolution imaging applications. In this article, an innovative technique for acquisition and reconstruction of images produced by U-shaped, hand-size MRI surface scanners is presented. The proposed method is based on the acquisition of overlapping strips and an analytical reconstruction technique; it is capable of arbitrarily improving spatial lateral resolution without either using a second magnetic field gradient or making any assumptions about the imaged sample extension. Numerical simulations on synthetic images are reported demonstrating the method functionalities. The presented method also makes it possible to use U-shaped, hand-size MRI surface scanners for high-resolution biomedical applications, such as the imaging of skin lesions.     

A novel functional magnetic resonance imaging compatible search-coil eye-tracking system

Measuring eye movements (EMs) using the search-coil eye-tracking technique is superior to video-based infrared methods [Collewijn H, van der Mark F, Jansen TC. Precise recording of human eye movements. Vision Res 1975;15(3):447-50], which suffer from the instability of pupil size, blinking behavior and lower temporal resolution. However, no conventional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-compatible search-coil eye tracker exists. The main problems for such a technique are the interaction between the transmitter coils and the magnetic gradients used for imaging as well as the limited amount of space in a scanner. Here we present an approach to overcome these problems and we demonstrate a method to record EMs in an MRI scanner using a search coil. The system described has a spatial resolution of 0.07 degrees (visual angle) and a high temporal resolution (22 kHz). The transmitter coils are integrated into the visual presentation system and the control/analysis unit is portable, which enables us to integrate the eye tracker with an MRI scanner. Our tests demonstrate low noise in the recorded eye traces and scanning with minimal artifact. Furthermore, the induced current in the search coil caused by the RF pulses does not lead to measurable heating. Altogether, this MR-compatible search-coil eye tracker can be used to precisely monitor EMs with high spatial and temporal resolution during fMRI. It can therefore be of great importance for studies requiring accurate fixation of a target, or measurement and study of the subject's oculomotor system.     

Multi-objective optimization of gradient coil for benchtop magnetic resonance imaging system with high-resolution

Significant high magnetic gradient field strength is essential to obtaining high-resolution images in a benchtop mag- netic resonance imaging （BT-MRI） system with permanent magnet. Extending minimum wire spacing and maximum wire width of gradient coils is one of the key solutions to minimize the maximum current density so as to reduce the local heating and generate higher magnetic field gradient strength. However, maximum current density is hard to optimize together with field linearity, stored magnetic energy, and power dissipation by the traditional target field method. In this paper, a new multi-objective method is proposed to optimize the maximum current density, field linearity, stored magnetic energy, and power dissipation in MRI gradient coils. The simulation and experimental results show that the minimum wire spacings are improved by 159% and 62% for the transverse and longitudinal gradient coil respectively. The maximum wire width increases from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. Maximum gradient field strengths of 157 mT/m and 405 mT/m for transverse and lon- gitudinal coil are achieved, respectively. The experimental results in BT-MRI instrument demonstrate that the MRI images with in-plane resolution of 50 ~tm can be obtained by using the designed coils.     

A novel radio frequency coil for veterinary magnetic resonance imaging system

In this article,a novel designed radio frequency (RF) coil is designed and built for the imaging of puppies in a V-shape permanent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.Two sets of Helmholtz coil pairs with a V-shape structure are used to improve the holding of an animal in the coil.The homogeneity and the sensitivity of the RF field in the coil are analysed by theoretical calculation.The size and the shape of the new coil are optimized and validated by simulation through using the finite element method (FEM).Good magnetic resonance (MR) images are achieved on a shepherd dog.     

Real-time animal functional magnetic resonance imaging and its application to neuropharmacological studies

In pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) with anesthetized animals, there is usually only a single time window to observe the dynamic signal change to an acute drug administration since subsequent drug injections are likely to result in altered response properties (e.g., tolerance). Unlike the block-design experiments in which fMRI signal can be elicited with multiple repetitions of a task, these single-event experiments require stable baseline in order to reliably identify drug-induced signal changes. Such factors as subject motion, scanner instability and/or alterations in physiological conditions of the anesthetized animal could confound the baseline signal. The unique feature of such functional MRI (fMRI) studies necessitates a technique that is able to monitor MRI signal in a real-time fashion and to interactively control certain experimental procedures. In the present study, an approach for real-time MRI on a Bruker scanner is presented. The custom software runs on the console computer in parallel with the scanner imaging software, and no additional hardware is required. The utility of this technique is demonstrated in manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) with acute cocaine challenge, in which temporary disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical step for MEMRI experiments. With the aid of real-time MRI, we were able to assess the outcome of BBB disruption following bolus injection of hyperosmolar mannitol in a near real-time fashion prior to drug administration, improving experimental success rate. It is also shown that this technique can be applied to monitor baseline physiological conditions in conventional fMRI experiments using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast, further demonstrating the versatility of this technique.     

New technical developments in magnetic resonance imaging of epilepsy

Within the last several years a number of technical developments have been made in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that can potentially impact clinical and research MR imaging applications in epilepsy. These include developments in instrumentation and in pulse sequences. Advances in instrumentation include higher capacity gradient systems and multiple receiver coils as directed to brain imaging. Advances in pulse sequence include use of fast or turbo-spin-echo techniques, variants of echo-planar imaging, and sequences such as fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) targeted to specific applications of brain imaging. The purpose of this paper is to review several of these developments.     

Computer-assisted design of surface coils used in magnetic resonance imaging. I. The calculation of the magnetic field

For a number of reasons, it is desirable to fabricate coils which, for a known current, shall produce predetermined values of the magnetic field intensity at a number of points within a nuclear magnetic resonance imager. The calculation of the magnetic field intensity at a set of points involves the integration of the Biot-Savart equation for all components of the segments of conductor which make up the coil. This process in itself is a rather formidable task. When this process is parameterized in terms of coil diameter, coil spacing, etc. the problem is to determine the values of these parameters to match values of magnetic field intensities which are desired. The problem thereby increases in complexity to the point where, by ordinary methods, the problem becomes intractable. This note describes an algorithm and offers a computer subroutine to calculate magnetic fields for coils of arbitrary shape and complexity for fixed currents.     

Fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance: calibration and system optimization

Fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers advantages for imaging organs and tissues. 19F is readily synthesized into a variety of compounds and offers the potential for in-vivo imaging as a complement to hydrogen MRI. The purpose of this work was to determine the minimum detection sensitivity for a fluorinated compound (CF3-CO2H) as a function of pulse sequence, interpulse times (TE, TI, and TR), gradient values and the number of data averages. CF3-CO2H was chosen because it has a single spectral line and exhibits a minimal frequency shift under the experimental conditions used for this experiment. A resistance MR scanner operating at a resonance frequency of 6.255 MHz was used for imaging both fluorine (.156 T) and hydrogen (.147 T). Critical factors determining the minimum detection sensitivity included system signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), acquisition time, relaxation times (T1, T2), and sample volume. Samples were measured over the range of 0.05 M to 20.0 M and showed a linear relationship between signal strength and concentration. The minimum detection sensitivity was 0.1 M. Use of higher static fields and optimized coils as well as improved system signal-to-noise ratios will improve detection sensitivity. We conclude that imaging of fluorine on low-field system is feasible, although it is necessary to optimize many parameters to maximize detection sensitivity.