Miniaturized MR-compatible ultrasound system for real-time monitoring of acoustic effects in mice using high-resolution MRI

Subeen Kim; Yehhyun Jo; Geun Ho Im; Chanhee Lee; Chaerin Oh; Geon Kook; Seong-Gi Kim; Hyunjoo J Lee

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120201

Miniaturized MR-compatible ultrasound system for real-time monitoring of acoustic effects in mice using high-resolution MRI

Neuroimage. 2023 Aug 1:276:120201. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120201. Epub 2023 Jun 1.

Authors

Subeen Kim¹, Yehhyun Jo¹, Geun Ho Im², Chanhee Lee², Chaerin Oh¹, Geon Kook¹, Seong-Gi Kim³, Hyunjoo J Lee⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
² Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon 16419, South Korea.
³ Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon 16419, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea; Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea. Electronic address: seonggikim@skku.edu.
⁴ School of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, South Korea; KAIST Institute for Nano Century (KINC), Daejeon 34141, South Korea. Electronic address: hyunjoo.lee@kaist.ac.kr.

PMID: 37269955
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120201

Abstract

Visualization of focused ultrasound in high spatial and temporal resolution is crucial for accurately and precisely targeting brain regions noninvasively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most widely used noninvasive tool for whole-brain imaging. However, focused ultrasound studies employing high-resolution (> 9.4 T) MRI in small animals are limited by the small size of the radiofrequency (RF) volume coil and the noise sensitivity of the image to external systems such as bulky ultrasound transducers. This technical note reports a miniaturized ultrasound transducer system packaged directly above a mouse brain for monitoring ultrasound-induced effects using high-resolution 9.4 T MRI. Our miniaturized system integrates MR-compatible materials with electromagnetic (EM) noise reduction techniques to demonstrate echo-planar imaging (EPI) signal changes in the mouse brain at various ultrasound acoustic intensities. The proposed ultrasound-MRI system will enable extensive research in the expanding field of ultrasound therapeutics.

Keywords: Focused ultrasound; Low-noise system; Magnetic resonance imaging; Preclinical study.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acoustics
Animals
Brain* / diagnostic imaging
Echo-Planar Imaging / methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Mice