LoCMR: A Low Field Portable System for Hyperpolarised 13C Magnetic Resonance
- 1 December 2018 to 31 March 2019
- Awards: Pump-priming Awards
LoCMR is a low field portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system designed for studying the metabolism of hyperpolarised tracers in the heart. The signal of these hyperpolarised tracers is independent of the magnetic field strength of the imaging system, allowing high quality images to be acquired even at low field. On the back of a lorry, when combined with a cryogen-free polariser, the “LoCMR” imaging system aims to improve accessibility of hyperpolarised MR technology, allowing institutions without an OCMR to rent a LoCMR unit to carry out short-term in vivo hyperpolarised imaging studies to further understand the biochemical mechanisms of heart disease.
This multidisciplinary project spans the natural and health sciences, from cardiology to electrical engineering. This will be the first human-sized scanner based on permanent magnet to be constructed in Oxford, and the imaging system will be portable, allowing UK sites without their own facilities to rent scan time.
This pilot project is being conducted by Dr Justin Lau, post-doctoral researcher in the Tyler group.
Image title: Electromagnetic simulation of LoCMR scanner prototype