Brain Imaging at the Advanced Imaging Research Center

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Brain Imaging at the Advanced Imaging Research
Center
Hanzhang Lu, Ph.D. Assistant
Professor Advanced Imaging Research Center UT
Southwestern Medical Center
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Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC) at UT
Southwestern
Established September of 2005
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Organization of the AIRC
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3T MR system
06/27/2006

• Philips system (fully loaded)

• Research dedicated (no insurance billing, scan
  time paid by grants of individual investigators)

• Pilot time available

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Other features

• Plasma TV patient monitoring system

• fMRI equipment back-projection video projector
  auditory stimuli delivered through headset
  responses recorded via fiber optic button boxes
  (up to 4)

• Physiological monitoring inside the magnet
  end-tidal CO2, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, EKG

• Contrast agent power injector (for dynamic brain
  perfusion)

• Eye-tracking system (camera calculating
  position of pupil)

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Anatomical images
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Example of fMRI activation maps
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Mock scanner

• Simulating magnet sound, vibration and air flow

• Has a complete set of fMRI stimulation equipment

• Useful for patient training

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7T (human)

• How many human 7T are there in the country?

• Still in the technical development stage

• Great potential for BOLD fMRI (400 improvement
  in CNR)

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Preliminary data from 7T
Fixed brain slice in agarose gel
In vivo human brain images (T2-weighted)
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Preliminary data from 7T
Whole brain Echo-planar-images
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7T (human)
Timelines for 7T magnet delivered on Sept. 19,
2006 magnet energized end of 2006
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What if I dont have MRI experiences and dont
know how to handle the MRI data?

• UNIX data server (up to 6 Terabytes of hard drive
  space)

• 4 PCs available for data processing

• Counter space and internet jacks for laptops

• AIRC staff assisting with stimulus device setup,
  fMRI paradigm programming and data processing

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What do I need to do to use the resources at the
AIRC?

• Talk to us so that we can evaluate the technical
  feasibility
• Submit a protocol to IRB
• Submit a protocol to the AIRCs Protocol Review
  Committee (pilot time may be requested as well)
• Get the necessary safety trainings
• Start doing experiments

http//www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/home/research/A
IRC/index.html
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AIRC Protocol Review Committee
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AIRC Protocol Review Committee

• Protocol should be submitted to Jeannie Davis
  (jeannie.davis_at_utsouthwestern.edu).
• Each protocol will be reviewed by two members.
• Each protocol will be given a priority score (for
  protocol approval and for pilot time award). The
  award of pilot time will be the decision of the
  Director of the AIRC.
• The committee meets bi-weekly to discuss the
  protocols and to approve the protocols.
• The protocol may be deferred with stipulations,
  and investigators can address the stipulations
  and submit a revision.
• The researchers will need to complete safety
  trainings before the protocol can be approved.

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After the protocol is approved

• UTSW IRB approval letter and a copy of the
  consent form should be submitted to Jeannie
  Davis.
• An account number for billing should be provided.
• A user account in our online scheduling system
  will be created.
• Reserve time on the online scheduling system and
  start doing experiments.

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About scheduling

• Scheduling is done via our online scheduling
  system.
• Once logged in, the users can see what time slots
  are available. If the time slots have been
  reserved by another investigator, you can see the
  name of that investigator (in case you need to
  contact him/her for time swapping).
• Scheduling for approved projects is on a
  first-come, first-serve basis. Scanner time slots
  should be scheduled in 15-minute increments.
• Cancellation of a slot should be done at least 24
  hours before the start of the scheduled scan.
• Reserved slots that are not cancelled within 24
  hours will be charged, regardless whether it is
  used or not.

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About billing

• A flat rate of 125 per 15 minutes will be used.
• Rate is the same for prime time and off-hours.
• Billing of the magnet time is handled by Meredith
  Sims (meredith.sims_at_utsouthwestern.edu) every two
  weeks.
• At the end of the experiment, researchers should
  log their usage of the magnet in the log book in
  the control room.
• The billing will be based on the online
  scheduling system and the logbook. It is the
  investigators responsibility to pay the charges
  in a timely manner.
• Individual investigators may coordinate with each
  other to accommodate special situations of scan
  scheduling. It is the investigators
  responsibility to communicate with each other for
  such arrangements.

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Scan hours

• The scanners are available 24/7.
• Prime time is defined as 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday.
• Off-hour is defined as all other times.
• An MR technologist is available during the prime
  time.
• For off-hour scans, the investigator will need to
  find an operator to perform the scan. It is the
  investigators responsibility to make such
  arrangements.

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Special notes on off-hour scans

• Scans using contrast agent can not be performed
  in off-hours.
• Scans on subjects with active disease and
  significant symptoms can not be scanned in
  off-hours.
• Scans on subjects with active but stable disease
  can be scanned with a physician available (in the
  Clements building)
• Healthy volunteers, subjects with inactive
  diseases, and subjects with minimal disease and
  minimal symptoms can be scanned without having a
  physician.

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Mock scanner

• The mock scanner is available for training
  subjects. It is scheduled through the online
  system.
• There is no charge for using the mock scanner.

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Thank you!