MRI with an atomic magnetometer suitable for practical imaging applications.
Conventionally implemented MRI is performed in a strong magnetic field, typically >1T. The high fields, however, can lead to many limitations. To overcome these limitations, ultra-low field (ULF) [or microtesla] MRI systems have been proposed and implemented. To-date such systems rely on low-Tc Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) leading to the requirement of cryogens. In this letter, we report ULF-MRI obtained with a non-cryogenic atomic magnetometer. This demonstration creates opportunities for developing inexpensive and widely applicable MRI scanners.
Savukov
I M
IM
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA. isavukov@lanl.gov
Zotev
V S
VS
Volegov
P L
PL
Espy
M A
MA
Matlashov
A N
AN
Gomez
J J
JJ
Kraus
R H
RH
D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging