Research leaps MR barrier

Seminal research in Europe has found that artifacts encountered at very high strength MR fields can be overcome without endangering patient safety. A study published in the September issue of the British Journal of Radiology produced submillimeter in-plane resolution of the brains of 10 healthy subjects using a fast spin-echo sequence optimized to work in a 4.7T environment.

Researchers at University College London optimized the number of echoes, the repetition time, and the time spent acquiring each echo to conform with U.K. safety guidelines (4 watts/Kg in the head) for specific absorption rate. They obtained uniform T2-weighted contrast images, despite substantial radio-frequency nonuniformity, by using a four-channel birdcage RF coil that allowed less sensitivity in the central coil region.