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MRI scans of the brain

The project presented their results at Hannover Messe 2024 and also featured in an article in c’t magazine

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that uses radio waves and large magnetic fields to create anatomical images to support the diagnosis of various diseases such as cancer.

However, MRI scans are not easily available across all of Europe due to their size and cost. ‘Low-field MRI’ can be used with portable scanners that could help bridge these supply gaps, however this method currently lacks metrological traceability.

The Partnership project Affordable low-field MRI reference system (22HLT02, A4IM) is working on developing an open-source, fully-characterised, traceable low-field MRI system that is portable and low-cost to increase accessibility of MRI scans across Europe and globally.

Hannover Messe and c’t Magazin

Results from the project were presented at Hannover Messe 2024 in Hannover, Germany under the theme ‘Energising a sustainable industry’. The fair is one of the world’s largest trade fairs with around 4000 exhibitors and 130.000 visitors in 2024. The project consortium showcased an early functional prototype of a portable MRI scanner at the stand of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and was able to hold a presentation to introduce the A4IM vision of an accessible open-source MRI scanner using AI-based image reconstruction algorithm.

 

Additionally, the project was also featured in c’t Magazin, a bi-weekly magazine focused on new technologies and innovations with the most subscribers in Europe and print numbers of around 320,000 per issue. Through these high-stake dissemination activities the project was able to connect with scientists across Europe and publicise their ideas for a portable, low-field MRI scanner.

 

For more information, please visit the project website.

 

The project coordinator Christoph Kolbitsch (PTB) comments on the early success of the project:

“Hannover Messe 2024 was an excellent opportunity to tell a wide audience about our project. People showed great interest and we received very positive feedback especially about the open-source aspect of our project. This is great motivation for the entire consortium.”

 

This Metrology Partnership project has received funding from the European Partnership on Metrology, co-financed by the European Union Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme and from the Participating States.
 

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