(1 June 2008 - 31 May 2009)
Magnetic ResonanceImaging Laboratory
Research Group Leader’s Comments
By Professor Joseph Hornak
Overview
The RIT Magnetic Resonance Laboratory is a research anddevelopment laboratory devoted to solving real world problemswith magnetic resonance. This year we continued our focus on three research topics: volume resolution phantoms for magneticresonance imaging (MRI), near-surface MRI, and theinteraction of the MRI contrast agents with transition metal ions. On the phantom front, we completed development of a three-dimensional phantomfor determining the point spread function and linearity of an MRIsystem anywhere in a 10×10×10 cm volume without the needto reposition the phantom. This work was presented at the 10th Upstate NY Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Symposium.
We finished a study of the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate (R1)of hydrated natural sands finding the relationship between R1and sand grain diameter, paramagnetic metal content in thesand grains, and magnetic field strength. This research has evolved to a study of the influence of weathering on the sand grains. This work was presented at the 9th International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media, the 2008 NY State Complex Matter Workshop at CornellUniversity, and the 50th Experimental NMR Conference.
Our study of the MRI contrast agent gadodiamide with copper (II) shows that transmetallation is occurring and gadolinium (III) is released. Work leading up to this conclusion was presented at the 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium.
Staff News
Sangyun Moon finished up his work on a volume resolution phantom for MRI and received his MS in Imaging Science from RIT. He is now employed with Rainbow Research Optics in DenverColorado.
Brittany Lipchick received her BS in Biochemistry from RIT and is now a PhD graduate student at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Division of the University at Buffalo.
Rebecca Smith, a BS Chemistry student at RIT, joined the lab in March. She is studying the interaction of copper (II) ions with the diamide ligand. She received a Summer ResearchFellowship for 2009 from the RITCollege of Science.
Hongmei Yuan, a MS chemistry student at RIT, joined the lab in September after four years as an engineer with the Qingdao Quick Prosperous Logistics Company in China. She is studying isotropic and anisotropic diffusion of water in constrained materials. The aim of her research is to develop diffusion phantoms for MRI.
Nicole Conway, a junior at the CanandaiguaAcademy in CanandaiguaNY, was a High School Summer Intern in the lab. She worked on optical measurements of the complexation of copper (II) with the diamide ligand.
Gretchen Smith, a junior at NazarethAcademy in RochesterNY, was a High School Summer Intern in the lab. She worked on optical measurements of the complexation of copper (II) with the diamide ligand.
Gianni Ferrante, President of Stelar, s.r.l in Mede Italy, continuedhis collaboration with the lab measuring hydrogen NMR spin-latticerelaxation rate values of hydrated real-sand as a function ofmagnetic field.
Andrew Coy, CEO of Magritek Limited in Wellington New Zealand, started a collaboration with the lab measuring the hydrogen NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate values of hydrated real-sand at the Earth’s magnetic field.
Conference Presentations
- C.L. Bray, R.G. Bryant, M.J. Cox, G. Ferrante, Y. Goddard, S. Sur, and J.P. Hornak, The 1H NMR R1 of Some Hydrated Synthetic and Natural Sands, 9th International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media, Cambridge, MA July 2008.
- S-Y. Moon, J.P. Hornak, A 3D Volume Resolution Phantom for MRI, 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium, Rochesterm, NY, October 2008.
- B. Lipchick, J. Swartzenberg, N. Conway, G. Smith, J.P. Hornak, Evidence for and Against Transmetallation between Cu and Omniscan®, 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium, Rochesterm, NY, October 2008.
- M. Cheung, R. Boswell, B. Lipchick, T.W. Smith, C.L. Bray, J.P. Hornak, A Low Dielectric Constant High-Conductivity Filler Material for MRI Phantoms, 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium, Rochester, NY, October 2008.
- C.L. Bray, R.G. Bryant, M.J. Cox, G. Ferrante, Y. Goddard, S. Sur, J.P. Hornak, The 1H NMR R1 of Some Hydrated Synthetic and Natural Sands, 2008 NY State Complex Matter Workshop, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, December 2008.
- J.P. Hornak, G. Ferrante, A. Coy, E. McCarney, A 1H NMR Spin-Lattice Relaxation TimeStudy of Asilomar Sands, 50th Experimental NMR Conference, Asilomar, CA March 2009.
Publications
- C.L. Bray, R.G. Bryant, M.J. Cox, G. Ferrante, Y. Goddard, S. Sur,J. P. Hornak, The Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spin-Lattice Relaxation Rate of Some Hydrated Synthetic and Natural Sands. Diffusion Fundamentals 10:8.1-8.3 (2009).
New Equipment & Facilities