Overview

This four-hour course will focus on the merger of different imaging modalities, signal sensing technologies or scientific disciplines with MR to improve its diagnostic value and/or to deliver new information. Thus, in this course the basic principles, the physics, the technology and the information content of the different modalities to be combined with MRI will be revealed.  This will enable us to further discuss the technical challenges and solutions making a merger feasible.  Selected applications will also be covered to underline the benefits of the different Hybrid MRI technologies for research and/or clinical applications.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:
• Explain the basic principle of the second biomedical technology as well as its application in the MRI environment;
• Discuss the typical hardware modifications necessary to merge the two modalities including measures to prevent interference
  or extra noise as well as approximate costs;
• Describe the gain in information achievable by merging the second biomedical technology with MRI;
• Evaluate the tradeoffs of acquiring the two modalities sequentially or simultaneously;
• Discuss any sensor tradeoffs necessary to achieve simultaneous data acquisition;
• Outline the potential clinical or research applications of the hybrid imaging system;
• Explain new developments in contrast agents and specific markers and their basic mechanisms; and
• Describe the principle of chemical exchange saturation transfer and its potential applications

Audience Description

Engineers, scientists, radiologists who are interested in the background of all these imaging modalities