This application is a request for funds to support the purchase of an 8-channel transmit 32-channel receive head coil manufactured by Nova Medical Inc. (Nova 8Tx/32Rx) for the Siemens 7T Terra MRI scanner. The 7T Terra is the first of its kind installed in the US. It is equipped with a full spectrum of cutting edge MRI technologies such as parallel-transmission (pTx), multiband imaging, high order shimming and high performance gradient system. The Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil will offer significant advantages for addressing transmit B1 (B1+) inhomogeneity, allowing high resolution zoomed-focused imaging with optimized and even reduced total RF power deposition on 7T Terra. Therefore, it is an indispensable upgrade for 7T Terra, allowing investigators at USC and Southern California region to push the envelope in applying MR technologies on the acquisition, reconstruction and post-processing side of MRI in both research and clinical applications. The 7T Terra equipped with Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil offers high flexibility for multi-contrast human brain imaging across a range of spatial and temporal scales that are highly relevant for the mission of neuroscience and neuroimaging at USC. Several recent technical advances of ultrahigh field imaging and pTx technologies, practical considerations of available resources make this the optimal time to acquire this Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil. USC has generously invested in the 100% cost of the 7T Terra system as well as the specially designed Center for Image Acquisition (CIA) that houses it. The recent successful recruitment of many renowned scientists will help take the fullest advantage of the capabilities of 7T Terra and Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil. USC has a wide range of expertise across several schools in basic, clinical, and translational neuroscience complemented by unique strengths in engineering, imaging, and informatics. This diversity in research background ensures not only that the 7T Terra and Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil will be fully utilized for a broad spectrum of innovative research, but also that relevant techniques and methodologies will be developed and refined over time. There is a robust and enthusiastic research and imaging community at USC and the LA basin who will immediately benefit from this instrument and enhance existing NIH funded research. With proximity to a medical center (Keck Medical Center of USC as well as Los Angeles County Medical Center), we will have easy access to patient populations and the opportunity to translate pTx technologies into clinical care. We have also opened access to southern California colleagues who can easily take advantage of the instrument because of geographic proximity. As the installation of 7T Terra and the adoption of pTx technologies with Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil becomes more widespread internationally, we will also play a leading role in the development and dissemination of pTx technologies at ultrahigh field.
This application supports the purchase of an 8-channel transmit 32-channel receive head coil manufactured by Nova Medical Inc. (Nova 8Tx/32Rx) for the Siemens 7T Terra MRI scanner. The Nova 8Tx/32Rx coil will significantly improve the homogeneity and signal coverage throughout the whole brain, and will unlock the full technical capabilities of the 7T Terra system. There is a robust and enthusiastic research and imaging community at USC and the LA basin who will immediately benefit from this instrument and enhance existing NIH funded research in neuroimaging and neuroscience.
