Taming Telsa - "You need an MRI"
By Cheryl Cobb

MRI ImageEach year, more and more people hear these words. In fact, this relatively young and rapidly developing technology has quickly become the doctor’s tool-of choice for imaging soft tissues. Physicians of old would be astounded to see clear images of nerves, arteries, muscles and ligaments inside a living person. In the past, this level of physical assessment was only available at an autopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs, tissues and the skeletal system. Chances are you or someone you know has had one. The heart of the MRI machine is a large, tube-shaped magnet whose strength is measured in tesla (T), a unit named for electrical engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla. When a patient lies inside an MRI machine, the magnetic field temporarily
aligns protons in water molecules in the body. Radio waves cause these aligned particles to produce faint signals that can be used to create cross-sectional MRI images — like slices in a loaf of bread. However, much work still needs to be done to unleash this technology’s full potential. Thanks to a partnership among Auburn University, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. and East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), a portion of that work will happen in the new Auburn University Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center.

“Auburn’s College of Engineering has a number of faculty engaged in research with MRI," explains Dean Larry Benefield. “The same is true for other units across campus. Creation of this center is the first step in a broader initiative designed to bring together Alabama’s intellectual and business capital to advance Auburn University to the forefront of biomedical engineering and to create a one-of-a-kind resource for the state." The center, which will be housed in a building to be constructed in the Auburn University Research Park , brings together Auburn’s expertise in engineering, science, pharmaceutics, agriculture, veterinary medicine and business with Siemen’s expertise in magnetic resonance imaging. Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in January 2010, with planned completion by September. The building, currently under design, will house two Siemens’ MRI units. It will also include office space for associated Auburn units and local medical clinics.

A 3T unit, the most powerful MRI currently cleared for clinical use with humans, will be used during the day, Monday through Friday, by EAMC. On weekends and evenings, the unit will be available for research use. A 7T unit, not yet cleared for use on humans, will be available to researchers 24-7. According to MRI Research Center Director Thomas Denney, faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the center will support the discovery of new technologies and their transfer to a broad spectrum of medical and pharmaceutical markets. An alliance with Siemen’s MRI Research and Development groups will drive research, technology development and intellectual property commercialization. Al Zhang, Siemens’s zone business development director, will serve as center co-director, providing onsite technology management for the units. Pulling together the partnerships needed to make the MRI center a reality has been a challenge spearheaded by Auburn Engineering alum Ed Lewis, special projects officer for technology advancement in the college. “Ed brings to the table a keen business sense learned from his many years as a manager with Mars, Inc.," says Benefield. “His energy and expertise have been critical to turning the MRI center from dream to reality and building the partnerships that will be essential for its success."

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