Investigation into multiphysics coupling via semiconducting nanophosphors

In an attempt to strengthen the case for the design and manufacture of multi-modal imaging machines capable of simultaneous and synergistic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as proposed by Ge Wang as early as 2012, a series of experiments using various combinations of nanophosphors, agar gels, a fiber optic coupled UV LED, and micro-MRI have been proposed and performed. The aim of these experiments is to elucidate the ability, if any, of UV-excited nanophosphors to modulate MRI parameters (T₁, T₂, and T₂*). The majority of our findings have been difficult to interpret, although some hints of the coupling were seen in previously reported studies. This paper briefly describes the next set experiments and discusses the improvements that need to be made to achieve statistical confidence in any phenomena that may be recorded. This work is an important step in the coupling of seemingly unrelated imaging modalities and could serve as a stepping-stone for further insight into the future of imaging.