A transceiver for an inexpensive desktop MR microscope

The ability of MRI to visualize soft tissues and investigate other physiological parameters remains unsurpassed by other imaging modalities. To date, however, the application of MRI technology is limited largely to the confines of hospitals and dedicated laboratories. This is partially due to the high cost and complexity of standard MRI systems. Rapid advances in consumer electronics, in particular the wireless industry, have led to the availability of low-cost RFICs with remarkable capability. We have developed a compact, inexpensive MR scanner based largely on these new components. An important feature of the prototype system is that it contains its own direct digital synthesizer which allows frequency hopping for offset field-of-view imaging, for example. Combined with low-cost, desktop magnets, the class of MR scanners has the potential to become standard laboratory equipment in both research and education. This paper presents the prototype desktop MR transceiver and compares the performance of the system to a commercial MR spectrometer. Initial results on standard spin echoes (TE=60, TR=1 sec) demonstrate SNR comparable to the commercial system