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Development of novel hardware and software for functional hyperpolarised Xenon Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Lead supervisor: Professor Fergus Gleeson

Co-supervisor: Dr James Grist

Commercial partner: 4E-FUTURES (trading as TEQRF previously PULSETEQ)

 

 

This project will focus on the development of novel hardware and software for hyperpolarised Xenon magnetic resonance imaging. The technique relies upon a transient boost of signal from a system known as a ‘polariser’. This technique is often signal to noise ratio (SNR) limited, and so developments in the field are needed to improve image quality, from which clinical decisions are made surrounding lung function across many disciplines, including oncology and respiratory medicine. Specifically, this DPhil will focus on:

 

- The Development of a novel self-tuning RF coil - This will be a coil with an interface with the MRI system to improve quality factor per patient, providing personalised optimisation of scan hardware prior to data acquisition to boost SNR.

 

- Combining the coil above with multi-channel receive elements - leading to improve lung coverage and radio frequency penetration for improved SNR.

 

- Development of coil-scanner interaction allowing for image quality assessments & k-space acquisition self-learning (using artificial intelligence / deep learning) to improve data acquisition - to provide optimal data acquisition approaches to improve imaging SNR and spatial and / or temporal resolution.

 

- Application to an exemplar clinical respiratory study - applying the above coil to a preliminary small-scale study focused on imaging the healthy lungs and initial demonstration in an exemplar respiratory condition that will benefit from enhanced imaging: interstitial lung abnormalities

 

- The above components of this project will then be used to demonstrate the three most important components required for hyperpolarised xenon to move into clinical practice:

 

1. Improved signal to noise, enabling detection of earlier disease and disease change.

2. Reduced dose of hyperpolarised xenon either by volume or degree of polarisation, enabling reduced cost of scanning - this may be as much as by 50%

3. Reduced scan times, enabling reduced costs or no breath hold or multiple sequences to be performed in a reasonable time frame

 

 

Apply using course: DPhil in Oncology

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