Alex, I do MRI scans for a living. It's possible to get sub-millimeter resolution in an MRI scan, with the latest equipment. (We can't do it yet where I work- UVA Med Ctr, but should be able to soon.) The problem is an old one where large amounts of data are concerned- bandwidth. The more detailed the scan, the longer the scan time. Also with MRI there are x number of individual pulse sequences, each of which gives you a different type of scan. In addition the more detailed scans require the use of a surface coil for the part in question to maximize the signal strength. I generally try to discourage any physician from ordering more than 2-3 exams (brain & cspine for example) on anyone on any given day, simply because almost no one can hold that still for that long. If you are willing to accept a lower resolution scan, say 4mm and only one type of pulse sequence, it might be possible to scan an entire body in under an hour. As to your third question with current PACS systems, disk space is not a major problem- need more space- add more hard drive space to the(big RAID-type)system. Most large institutions are going to filmless radiography where every image is viewed on a workstation and only filmed if the images have to be hand carried somewhere. We at UVA are in a transitional phase where all images are autosaved to the PACS system but we still film most images- takes forever. We also copy each scan to rewritable MO disks just in case of a system crash. We're stuck using 1.7 gig disks (old equipment), but there are higher densities also and the filesystem is not really a problem since there is a standard DICOM that is convertable to other formats. A good source of web links is available at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine website. www.ismrm.org. One question of mine - how would you gain access to an MR scanner for a non-medical reason? We're backlogged for weeks just with sick folks. Glad to answer any more questions, but expect some lag time on your answer because I'm so busy scanning folks I've little time for much else. (First time I've read this list in a week)
Dennis Roberts RT (R)(MR)
----- Original Message -----
From: ABlainey@aol.com
To: extropians@extropy.org
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 12:36 PM
Subject: MRI questions ?
I need some tech details about MRI scanners, can anyone help ?.
1. What is the max resolution of current scanners (in mm or inch pref)
2. How long would it take to scan a whole body, top to toe ?
3. What sort of storage media size would be needed for a full body scan ?. in GB
4. What type of filesystem would the storage media use, VFF etc
These are a few questions I need answered for a project im thinking about. It is for anthoform robot parts based on a specific persons body structure. The main direction will be for artificial limbs with full range of movement and control at normal speed.
If anyone has experience of making air muscles, any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Alex.
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