New Magnetic Material to Improve MRI

By concentrating and shaping radio frequency (RF) flux patterns used in the acquisition of the MRI image with increased immunity to external disturbances, the material may lead to dramatic improvements in MRI performance. A paper on the development was published in the February 2 issue of Science.

The achievement involved collaboration among the physics department of the Imperial College of London (UK), the Clinical Sciences Center MR Unit of the Imperial Medical School, Marconi Caswell (Northamptonshire, UK), and Marconi Medical Systems (Cleveland, OH, USA). Marconi Caswell, whose parent is Marconi plc, is a developer of material technologies, including semiconductor materials for microwave and optoelectronic systems.

Micro-structured materials belong to a family called photonic band gap materials, which have exotic properties, including high magnetic permeability, electric permeability, and refractive index. The new micro-structured material developed specifically for application in MRI scanners has a high magnetic permeability for RF fields but not for static fields. It also has applications as a magnetic screen and potentially as a magnetic lens.

"This development confirms Marconi Medical Systems' commitment to advancing medical technology and demonstrates its ability to work with academic institutions at the
forefront of science and technology,” said Jim Green, vice president of engineering and product development at Marconi.




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