A multidisciplinary research team led by University of Houston scientist Jarek Wosik has developed a high-temperature superconducting coil that allows magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to produce higher resolution images or acquire images in a shorter time than when using conventional coils. Test results show that the new technology can reveal brain structures that are not easily visualized with conventional MRI coils.

The cryo-coil works boosts the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) – a measure of the strength of signals carrying useful information – by a factor of two to three, compared with conventional coils.

Results from preliminary testing of the 7 Tesla MRI Cryo-probe were presented at the International Symposium of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine annual meeting in May. The coil can be optimized for experiments on living animals or brain tissue samples. The researchers demonstrated an isotropic resolution of 34 micron in rat brain imaging.

"“This work also has the potential to clearly benefit clinical MRI, both through high quality imaging and through shortening the time patients are in the scanner," said Wosik.

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