(1 June 2008 - 31 May 2009)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging LaboratoryResearch Group Leader’s CommentsBy Professor Joseph Hornak

OverviewThe RIT Magnetic Resonance Laboratory is a research and development laboratory devoted to solving real world problems with magnetic resonance. This year we continued our focus on three research topics: volume resolution phantoms for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), near-surface MRI, and the interaction of the MRI contrast agents with transition metal ions. On the phantom front, we completed development of a three-dimensional phantom for determining the point spread function and linearity of an MRI system anywhere in a 10×10×10 cm volume without the need to reposition the phantom. This work was presented at the 10th Upstate NY Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Symposium.

We finished a study of the NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate (R1) of hydrated natural sands finding the relationship between R1 and sand grain diameter, paramagnetic metal content in the sand grains, and magnetic field strength. This research has evolved to a study of the influence of weathering on the sand grains. This work was presented at the 9th International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media, the 2008 NY State Complex Matter Workshop at Cornell University, and the 50th Experimental NMR Conference.

Our study of the MRI contrast agent gadodiamide with copper (II) shows that transmetallation is occurring and gadolinium (III) is released. Work leading up to this conclusion was presented at the 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium.

Staff News

Sangyun Moon finished up his work on a volume resolution phantom for MRI and received his MS in Imaging Science from RIT. He is now employed with Rainbow Research Optics in Denver Colorado.

Brittany Lipchick received her BS in Biochemistry from RIT and is now a PhD graduate student at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Division of the University at Buffalo.

Rebecca Smith, a BS Chemistry student at RIT, joined the lab in March. She is studying the interaction of copper (II) ions with the diamide ligand. She received a Summer Research Fellowship for 2009 from the RIT College of Science.

Hongmei Yuan, a MS chemistry student at RIT, joined the lab in September after four years as an engineer with the Qingdao Quick Prosperous Logistics Company in China. She is studying isotropic and anisotropic diffusion of water in constrained materials. The aim of her research is to develop diffusion phantoms for MRI.

Nicole Conway, a junior at the Canandaigua Academy in Canandaigua NY, was a High School Summer Intern in the lab. She worked on optical measurements of the complexation of copper (II) with the diamide ligand.

(1 June 2008 - 31 May 2009)

Gretchen Smith, a junior at Nazareth Academy in Rochester NY, was a High School Summer Intern in the lab. She worked on optical measurements of the complexation of copper (II) with the diamide ligand.

Gianni Ferrante, President of Stelar, s.r.l in Mede Italy, continued his collaboration with the lab measuring hydrogen NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate values of hydrated real-sand as a function of magnetic field.

Andrew Coy, CEO of Magritek Limited in Wellington New Zealand, started a collaboration with the lab measuring the hydrogen NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate values of hydrated real-sand at the Earth’s magnetic field.

Conference Presentations1. C.L. Bray, R.G. Bryant, M.J. Cox, G. Ferrante, Y. Goddard, S. Sur, and J.P. Hornak, The 1H

NMR R1 of Some Hydrated Synthetic and Natural Sands, 9th International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media, Cambridge, MA July 2008.

2. S-Y. Moon, J.P. Hornak, A 3D Volume Resolution Phantom for MRI, 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium, Rochesterm, NY, October 2008.

3. B. Lipchick, J. Swartzenberg, N. Conway, G. Smith, J.P. Hornak, Evidence for and Against Transmetallation between Cu and Omniscan®, 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium, Rochesterm, NY, October 2008.

4. M. Cheung, R. Boswell, B. Lipchick, T.W. Smith, C.L. Bray, J.P. Hornak, A Low Dielectric Constant High-Conductivity Filler Material for MRI Phantoms, 10th Upstate NY NMR Symposium, Rochester, NY, October 2008.

5. C.L. Bray, R.G. Bryant, M.J. Cox, G. Ferrante, Y. Goddard, S. Sur, J.P. Hornak, The 1H NMR R1 of Some Hydrated Synthetic and Natural Sands, 2008 NY State Complex Matter Workshop, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, December 2008.

6. J.P. Hornak, G. Ferrante, A. Coy, E. McCarney, A 1H NMR Spin-Lattice Relaxation Time Study of Asilomar Sands, 50th Experimental NMR Conference, Asilomar, CA March 2009.

Publications1. C.L. Bray, R.G. Bryant, M.J. Cox, G. Ferrante, Y. Goddard, S. Sur, J. P. Hornak, The Proton

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spin-Lattice Relaxation Rate of Some Hydrated Synthetic and Natural Sands. Diffusion Fundamentals 10:8.1-8.3 (2009).

New Equipment & FacilitiesThe lab acquired a Magritek Terranova-MRI, an Earth's field magnetic resonance imaging system and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. The instrument will allow us to measure the hydrogen spin-lattice relaxation rate of hydrated soils at the Earth’s magnetic field of 0.5 Gauss.