Optimized system design and construction of a compact whole-hand scanner for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
We have developed a compact magnetic resonance (MR) imaging scanner with permanent magnet, gradient coil set, and radiofrequency (RF) coils optimized for whole-hand examination for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The system weighs about 600 kg, and installation space is 2 m(2), excluding the shield room. Hand examinations of normal volunteers and patients with RA were performed using a 3D T(1)-weighted gradient-echo (GRE) sequence and short T(I) inversion recovery 3D fast spin-echo (STIR-3DFSE) sequence, and anatomical structures and various lesions of the hand caused by RA were clearly visualized in a 16-min examination. It was concluded that the system could be used for diagnosis of RA in even a small clinic.
Handa
Shinya
S
Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. handa@mrlab.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp
Yoshioka
Hiroshi
H
Tomiha
Sadanori
S
Haishi
Tomoyuki
T
Kose
Katsumi
K
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016477:Artifacts; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods; D006225:Hand / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D014867:Water
D014867:Water