1476

LEI-ALOHA – Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Tropical Island Setting
Christopher John Wiggins1 and Benedikt A Poser2

1Scannexus BV, Maastricht, Netherlands, 2Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

Synopsis

While there are exceptions, most major MRI research centers are located in urban areas where a sizeable population is served by a large medical infrastructure and/or university. For researchers and technical staff alike, this often precludes the possibility of combining their research program with a remote, island-based lifestyle. Here we propose a set of theoretical techniques that form a framework for a purely philosophical research program.

Introduction

While there are exceptions, most major MRI research centers are located in urban areas where a sizeable population is served by a large medical infrastructure and/or university. For researchers and technical staff alike, this often precludes the possibility of combining their research program with a remote, island-based lifestyle. Here we propose a set of theoretical techniques that form a framework for a purely philosophical research program: Lazy Experimentalist Imaging Assisted by a Lazy Operator Hanging Around (LEI-ALOHA)

Methods

With the assistance of various ethanol based solutions and extractions from fruit products, a small team of researchers were asked to develop a ‘tropical workup’ of techniques. Several hours later, and with considerable correction into standard (less inebriated) English, the following techniques were proposed:

Huge Area Weighted Acquisition of Internal Imaging (HAWAII) – This technique is proposed to image the largest body regions. In particular, it is suggested to use this technique to image the volcanic gastric reflux that, in some subjects, arises after the consumption of coffee.

Mobile Acquisitions via Undulated Imaging (MAUI) – Here an extremely irregular k-space trajectory, including occasional sampling of the same k-space line in different directions, is proposed for following peripheral vessels, especially through significant folds in the human body (e.g. around the shoulder, elbow under extreme flexion, etc.)

Oversampled Acquisition in HUmans (OAHU) – Proposed as a more general technique, this imaging sequence is particularly aimed at population studies. Additionally, it is intended to satisfy the needs of a large proportion of the community who are simply happy with stark white/blue contrast with considerable SAR deposition, but are less interested in the subtleties of the other techniques in the workup. (It should be noted that the higher SAR deposition can lead to higher levels of Vitamin D in the subjects, which might be an additional benefit to the subject’s post-scan psychological status on top of the well-known effect from gradient switching [1])

An additional set of techniques are harder to distinguish, perhaps because they have proven more resistant to commercial development. One might consider these to be superior for subjects requiring an additional sense of isolation. They also cover smaller, more specific anatomical areas:

K-space Augmented Unnecessary Anatomical Imaging (KAUAI)

MOtion LOcalised K-space Augmented Imaging (MOLOKAI)

Localised And Non-localised Anatomical Imaging (LANAI)

Non-Intuitive Imaging with Half Acquisition and Undersampling (NIIHAU)

K-space Aquisition Having Only Odd Lines Avoiding Water Excitation (KAHOOLAWE)

Results and Conclusions

Unfortunately, the research team’s supplies were exhausted before more than a theoretical study could be completed. Further funding is therefore being requested to obtain the supplies needed (ethanol based solutions, liquid fruit extractions, calibrated measurement vessels, mixing vessels, dispensing containers, stirring rods, miniaturized precipitation control devices, travel and accommodation reimbursements, climate appropriate clothing for both aquatic, subaquatic and terrestrial experimentation, etc.) for further exploration of HAWAII, MAUI, OAHU, KAUAI, MOLOKAI, LANAI, NIIHAU, and KAHOOLAWE.

Acknowledgements

The Authors would like to thank the German Ultrahigh Field Imaging network and Deutsche Bahn for the opportunity to consider this topic over an extended period of time.

References

[1] Rohan M et al Low-Field Magnetic Stimulation in Bipolar Depression Using an MRI-Based Stimulator, Am J Psychiatry 161:1, January 2004

Figures

Figure: Some very preliminary LEI-HAWAII data. In contrast to standard fMRI maps, which generally show activation, these data show mainly areas of relaxation (blue). The exception is a small area (red) which increases in activity during week-long intervals every few years. It has been forecast that the next period of activation will be from the 22nd to 27th of April, 2017.

Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 25 (2017)
1476