New sensor detects errors in MRI scans

 Hvidovre Hospital has the world's first prototype of a sensor capable of detecting errors in MRI scans using laser light and gas. The new sensor, developed by a young researcher at the University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital, can thereby do what is impossible for current electrical sensors -- and hopefully pave the way for MRI scans that are better, cheaper and faster.

MRI scanners are used by doctors and healthcare professionals every day to get a unique look into the human body. In particular, they are used to study the brain, vital organs and other soft tissues by way of 3D images of exceptional quality compared to other types of medical imaging.

While this makes the advanced tool invaluable and nearly indispensable for healthcare professionals, there is still room for improvement.

The strong magnetic fields inside MRI scanners have fluctuations that create errors and disturbances in scans. Consequently, these expensive machines (hundreds of Euros per hour) must be calibrated regularly to reduce errors.

There are also special scanning methods, which unfortunately cannot be done in practice today. Among them, so-called spiral sequences that could reduce scanning time, e.g., when diagnosing blood clots, sclerosis and tumors. Spiral sequences would also be an attractive tool in MRI research, where, among other things, they could provide researchers and health professionals with new knowledge about brain diseases. But due to the highly unstable magnetic field, performing these types of scans is not currently an option.

In theory, the problem can be solved with a sensor that reads and maps changes in the magnetic field. Thereafter, it is relatively simple to correct the errors in images with a computer. In practice, this has been difficult with the current technology, as otherwise suitable sensors interfere with the magnetic field because they are electric and connected to metal cables.

A new invention hopes to make this problem a thing of the past. To combat the problem, a researcher from the Niels Bohr Institute and The Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR) has developed a sensor that uses laser light in fiber cables and a small glass container filled with gas. The prototype is ready and works.

Source: ScienceDaily