Engineering

The Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) at the University of Minnesota pioneered Ultra High Field (UHF) MRI and today is one of the worlds leading UHF and MRI Research Center. CMRR is a National Biotechnology Resource Center (BTRC P41) (for the past 25 years) and shares advancements in UHF technology through biannual workshops.

The CMRR was founded in 1990 with the installation of the world's first 125cm bore Siemens/Sisco 4T system. At that time, this was the most advanced MRI system and was used for the first BOLD based fMRI and pioneering imaging and spectroscopy applications. The 4T's success allowed the CMRR to acquire and site the world’s first 7T (1999), 9.4T (2005) and most recently the University of Minnesota’s 10.5T (2013). These unique systems all required extensive MR engineering efforts and the associated CMRR Engineering team now has more than 30 years of experience in all aspects related to UHF technology. Most notable achievements are the first 32 channel receivers, the first 32 channel transmitter, and pioneering development of the first multi-channel transceiver arrays and pTx related technology.

The engineering group's primary research focus continues to be on developing the most advanced MR Coil arrays and transmitter technology and the related innovative advancement of RF frontend components to ensure optimized capture of the high SNR afforded by ultra high magnetic fields. Advanced array technology continues to be the primary driver in all current and future projects. In addition, the CMRR engineering group has decades of experience in all aspects related to maintaining and supporting of the worlds most advanced MR systems and as a result all our UHF Magnets (7T, 9.4T,10.5T and 16.4T) have been at field since the initial ramp up.