Advanced MRI scanners developed by the University of California, Berkeley will allow doctors and scientists to observe the brain in greater detail than ever before, which could lead to treatments for brain disorders such as degenerative diseases, schizophrenia and developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders.
Two Scottish companies were instrumental in developing the equipment used in the NextGen 7T scanner for the university, Wideblue and MR Coiltech, both based in Glasgow. Wideblue is a medical device product consultancy and MR Coiltech is a specialist in the development of high-density MRI head coils.
The results of the images produced by the University using the scanners have been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Nature Methods. The paper reports that innovative RF head coil design achieves ten times higher resolution for functional MRI brain imaging. This means that scientists can see the functional characteristics of MRI with an isotropic resolution of 0.4 mm compared to the 2-3 mm obtained by standard MRI. The scanner can achieve this much higher resolution by using 128 sensor coils, compared to 32 in a standard MRI scanner. The advanced scanner records up to 10 times more detail than current 7T scanners and more than 50 times more detail than current 3T scanners commonly used in hospitals around the world.
Berkeley principal investigator David Feinberg said: “The NexGen 7T scanner is a new tool that allows us to examine the brain circuits underlying different brain diseases with higher spatial resolution in fMRI, diffusion and in structural imaging, and therefore to carry out research in human neuroscience with higher granularity. This places UC Berkeley at the forefront of human neuroimaging research.
“The ultra-high resolution scanner will enable research into underlying changes in brain circuits in a multitude of brain disorders, including degenerative diseases, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders.”
Wideblue was responsible for the detailed mechanical design to install up to 96 radio frequency (RF) sensor coils in the space normally occupied by 32 RF sensor coils found in standard MRI scanners. The electronics were designed by MR Coiltech and the equipment was assembled and tested at MR Coiltech’s premises at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow.
Dr Shajan Gunanmony, CEO of MR Coiltech, said: “We are delighted with the design work undertaken by Wideblue. This is a very complex advanced 3D electronic product and achieving 96 channels in such a small space was a real challenge. The resulting image quality achieved with our product at UC Berkeley speaks for itself and is at the forefront of research around the world.
