MAPS - a Magic Angle Positioning System for Enhanced Imaging in High-Field Small-Bore MRI.

Abstract

The "magic angle" MRI effect can enhance signal intensity in aligned collagenous structures oriented at approximately 55° with respect to the main magnetic field. The difficulty of positioning tissue inside closed-bore scanners has hampered magic angle use in research and clinics. An MRI-conditional mechatronic system has been developed to control sample orientation inside a 9.4T small bore MRI scanner. The system orients samples to within 0.5° and enables a 600% increase in tendon signal intensity.