Weekend Educational Course:
MR Engineering
Organizers: Mark A. Griswold, Ph.D., Brian K. Rutt, Ph.D., and Greig C. Scott, Ph.D.
 
Skill Level: Intermediate
 
Saturday, 18 April and Sunday, 19 April 2009
08:30 - 17:00

OVERVIEW
This two day course will explore the engineering issues of hardware components and system design of modern MRI scanners. Lectures are provided in the general topics of magnets, gradients and shims, RF coils and electronics, and system design, and we will cover basic hardware components of an MRI scanner and how they interact; basic methods for magnet, gradient and shim design; basic types of RF coils, and their design principles; RF electronics that interface with coils; and trade-offs in designing customized NMR/MRI instrumentation.
Specific topics include:
Saturday:
  • MRI system overview
  • Magnet design and modeling
  • Magnet construction
  • Shim design and principles
  • Dynamic shimming
  • Gradient coil design and limitations
  • Gradient systems, amplifiers and eddy current compensation
  • RF electromagnetic modeling
  • RF engineering principles
  • Experimental animal and micro RF coils
  • RF receive-coil arrays
Sunday:
  • RF front ends
  • Introduction to preamplifiers
  • Introduction to RF power amplifiers
  • RF volume coils
  • RF transmit-coil arrays
  • Multi-tuned coils
  • RF characterization on the bench
  • System Design Tradeoffs
  • Roll-your-own scanners
 
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES     
Upon completion of this case based session, participants should be able to:
  • Recognize the basic hardware components of an MRI scanner and how they interact;
  • Describe the basic methods for magnet, gradient and shim design;
  • Understand the basic types of RF coils, and their design principles;
  • Understand the RF electronics that interface with coils; and
  • Evaluate the trade-offs in designing customized NMR/MRI instrumentation.
 

Saturday, 18 April 2009
     
  Systems  
09:00 MR Scanners: A System Perspective Steven M. Conolly, Ph.D.
     
  Magnets  
09:30 Magnets: Design, Modeling Johan A. Overweg, Ph.D.
10:00 Magnets: Construction, Operation Matthias Gebhardt, Dipl.Phys.
10:30 Break - Meet the Teachers  
     
  Shimming  
11:00 Shimming: Principles and Shim Design Richard W. Bowtell, Ph.D.
11:30 Shimming: Dynamic Shimming Stuart Clare, Ph.D.
12:00 Break - Meet the Teachers  
     
  Gradients  
13:30 Gradients: Design and Limitations Blaine A. Chronik, Ph.D.
14:00 Gradients: Amplifiers, Eddy Currents, Eddy Current Compensation Franz Schmitt, Ph.D.
14:30 Break - Meet the Teachers  
     
  RF Basics and Receive Arrays  
15:00 RF: Electromagnetic Modeling Stuart Crozier, Ph.D.
15:30 RF: Engineering Principles Graham C. Wiggins, Ph.D.
16:00 RF: Experimental Coils, Animal, Micro Andrew G Webb, Ph.D.
16:30 RF: Receive Arrays Arne Reykowski, Ph.D.
17:00 Adjournment - Meet the Teachers  
     
Sunday, 19 April 2009
     
  RF Electronics  
09:00 RF: Front Ends Steven M. Wright, Ph.D.
09:30 RF: Intro to Preamps Greig C. Scott, Ph.D.
10:00 RF: Intro to Power Amplifiers Krishna N. Kurpad, Ph.D.
10:30 Break - Meet the Teachers  
     
  RF Transmitter Coils  
11:00 RF: Volume Coils Scott B. King, Ph.D.
11:30 RF: Transmit Arrays Gregor Adriany, Ph.D.
12:00 Break - Meet the Teachers  
     
  RF Practical Issues  
13:30 RF: Multi-Tuned Coils Joseph Murphy-Boesch, Ph.D.
14:00 RF: Characterization on the Bench Titus Emanuel Lanz, Dipl. Phys.
14:30 Break - Meet the Teachers  
     
  System Characterization and Customization  
15:00 MRI System Design Tradeoffs Graeme C. McKinnon, Ph.D.
15:30 Roll Your Own Scanner-I David J. Lurie, Ph.D.
16:00 Roll Your Own Scanner-II : Systems for Hyperpolarized Media Ross W. Mair, Ph.D.
16:30 Adjournment - Meet the Teachers