Nicholas Dwork, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has filed a provisional patent for technology that could increase the scanning speed of three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The invention could lead to faster results, increase clinical applications of MRIs, and ultimately improve patient care.
Complex mathematics and engineering are involved in generating images of internal organs and tissues as patients enter the magnetic tube of an MRI machine. Any movement of the patient can distort the images and the scan can take an hour or more. During this time, the machine makes loud noises as radio waves bounce back from body structures to create images. Since the field of view – the imaged part of space – is typically rectangular, the radio waves also bounce off areas outside the body. This is where Dwork’s technology comes into play.
Suppose you knew nothing at all about the picture you were trying to take. In this case you would need a maximum of information to create the image, which means you need to collect a maximum of data. How can we reduce the amount of data required? If we had more information about the picture we’re taking, we wouldn’t need as much data.”
Nicholas Dwork, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine
His method adjusts the scanning pattern created by the machine’s magnetic fields.
“They’re called pulse sequence diagrams,” explains Dwork. “Think of the MRI as a musical instrument. Similar to a musical instrument, you can play different songs. You can think of it as sheet music for the MRI machine.”
He worked with faculty at the Department of Radiology to develop applications for programming and will continue to refine the technology through his own research.
“First and foremost, this means combining this particular method of speeding up MRI with other technologies to make scanning extremely fast,” he says. “These other technologies include something called partial Fourier sampling, parallel imaging, compressed sampling, and deep learning.”
Dwork estimates that his approach to MRI scans could cut time by about 25 percent, giving doctors faster results and reducing patients’ time in the MRI tube. He envisions the faster scans being used for a variety of purposes and potentially expanding MRI use to very young children and pregnant patients. He hopes to explore its application in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a rare condition in which twin fetuses share a placenta and network of blood vessels. A fast, accurate MRI can guide a surgeon in cauterizing the blood vessels in the placenta to address the condition and improve outcomes for the fetus.
Dwork, who has focused his career on applying advanced mathematics to medical problems, says his work would not be possible without the support he found at CU. As a member of the Affiliate Faculty Program of the Applied Mathematics Department at CU Boulder, he presents on medical problems for the Mathematics Department while bringing new mathematical knowledge to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. He also works with CU Innovations, the technology commercialization and risk development office at CU Anschutz, to commercialize the invention to imaging companies and develop research in the clinical setting.
“For the kind of work I enjoy doing, which is applying advanced mathematics to medical problems, CU Anschutz is the perfect place,” he says. “I am very grateful to the Department of Biomedical Informatics for giving me this career opportunity and providing me with so many resources to maximize my likelihood of success.”
Source:
University of Colorado Anschutz
