Field cycling imaging to characterise breast cancer at low and ultra-low magnetic fields below 0.2 T.

Background: This prospective feasibility study explores Field-Cycling Imaging (FCI), a new MRI technology that measures the longitudinal relaxation time across a range of low magnetic field strengths, providing additional information about the molecular properties of tissues. This study aims to assess the performance of FCI and investigate new quantitative biomarkers at low fields within the context of breast cancer.

Methods: We conducted a study involving 9 people living with breast cancer (10 tumours in total, mean age, 54 ± 10 years).

Markers of low field NMR relaxation features of tissues.

This work presents an approach to exploiting Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry data (H spin-lattice relaxation rates covering the frequency range from below 1 kHz to 10 MHz) for the purpose of differentiating between pathological and reference tissues. Characteristic quantities (markers) that can be obtained in a straightforward manner, not resorting to an advanced analysis of H spin-lattice relaxation data, have been identified and compared for pathological and reference colon tissues. Moreover, the relaxation data have been parametrised in terms of Lorentzian spectral densities and the possibility of using the obtained dipolar relaxation constants and correlation times as biomarkers to assess the state of tissues has been discussed.

Optimising 4D imaging of fast-oscillating structures using X-ray microtomography with retrospective gating.

Imaging the internal architecture of fast-vibrating structures at micrometer scale and kilohertz frequencies poses great challenges for numerous applications, including the study of biological oscillators, mechanical testing of materials, and process engineering. Over the past decade, X-ray microtomography with retrospective gating has shown very promising advances in meeting these challenges. However, breakthroughs are still expected in acquisition and reconstruction procedures to keep improving the spatiotemporal resolution, and study the mechanics of fast-vibrating multiscale structures.

Open-source magnetic resonance imaging: Improving access, science, and education through global collaboration.

Open-source practices and resources in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have increased substantially in recent years. This trend started with software and data being published open-source and, more recently, open-source hardware designs have become increasingly available. These developments towards a culture of sharing and establishing nonexclusive global collaborations have already improved the reproducibility and reusability of code and designs, while providing a more inclusive approach, especially for low-income settings.