Testing Cutting-Edge Compact MRI Technology

What was the biomedical issue you addressed in your research, and what did your studies find?

I studied MRI technology, particularly the usefulness of a new, compact 3T MRI scanner, which is currently only used for research. One big question is which patients can benefit from it. Many people have health issues that require living with an implanted device, such as a pacemaker that helps the heart keep its rhythm. For safety reasons, when a person with an implanted device needs an MRI, scanning can be limited to an MRI machine with a lower magnetic field, such as a 1.5 Tesla (or 1.5T) MRI scanner. (Sometimes even when a pacemaker has been removed, the wires are retained in the patient, which can create even greater MR safety concerns.) However, when a patient needs a brain scan, an MRI with a stronger magnetic field, a 3T MRI, is the best technology to get high-quality images. I studied whether a higher-strength MRI, specifically the compact 3T scanner, can be used for brain scans of people who have metal-implanted devices.

A few years ago, Mayo Clinic received the first compact 3T MRI scanner, an advanced prototype developed under an NIH-funded collaboration between GE Research and Mayo Clinic. The compact 3T scanner is a small, high-performance machine with a narrow central chamber, known as the patient bore. The small bore of the compact 3T scanner allows for scans of the head and extremities. For patients with metal-implanted devices, whether pacemakers or spinal stimulators, a major advantage of using the compact 3T MRI for a brain scan is that the strength of the electromagnetic fields drops off rapidly outside the bore and, therefore, is lower at the location of the implanted device than around the brain.

My research involved a small-scale study of patients who have implanted devices. Our team compared clinical 1.5T MRI brain scans to those produced by the compact 3T MRI. I found that compact 3T MRI brain scans can be performed safely for patients with some implanted devices and that the image quality exceeds those obtained by 1.5T MRI scanners. Mayo researchers will continue to study applications of the compact 3T scanner.

How did you become interested in a career in biomedical science, and what educational opportunities did you encounter at Mayo?

As a daughter of a father living with paraplegia, I have had a unique perspective on the world of medicine and the advances that address disabilities and resolve health issues. The idea of becoming a biomedical engineer aligned with my interests and talents and was a way that I felt I could best serve others.

As I was considering a Ph.D., I participated in Mayo's pathway programs. During college, I took part in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. After my undergraduate degree, I was part of the Graduate Research Education Program, where I had the opportunity to observe spinal cord stimulation in patients with paraplegia. These experiences furthered my interest in a doctoral program and in biomedical engineering specifically. During my graduate studies, I was able to gain experience in experimental and mathematical modeling methods and in research involving patients.

What's next?

I will be a postdoctoral fellow at Mayo Clinic, conducting research in the Department of Radiology in the labs of Yunhong Shu, Ph.D., and Shigao Chen, Ph.D. Ultimately, I'm interested in a career in industry, furthering the development of imaging technologies to improve lives.