A transceiver for an inexpensive desktop MR microscope
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abstract
The ability of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to visualize soft tissues and investigate other physiological parameters remains unsurpassed by other imaging modalities. To date, however, the application of MRI technology is limited largely to the confines of hospitals and dedicated laboratories. This is partially due to the high cost and complexity of standard MRI systems. Rapid advances in consumer electronics, in particular the wireless industry, have led to the availability of low-cost radio-frequency integrated circuits with remarkable capability. We have developed a compact, inexpensive MR scanner based largely on these new components. An important feature of the prototype system is that it contains its own direct digital synthesizer (DDS) which allows frequency hopping for offset field-of-view imaging, for example. Combined with low-cost, desktop magnets, this class of MR scanners has the potential to become standard laboratory equipment in both research and education. This paper presents the prototype desktop MR transceiver and compares the performance of the system to a commercial MR spectrometer made by Varian/SIS. Initial results on standard spin echoes (TE = 60, TR = 1sec) demonstrate SNR comparable to the commercial system.
