# Reducing the Size and Cost of MRI by Using a Zero-He Moderate-Field MRI Magnet Integrated with a Cryocooled RF Coil

> **NIH NIH R43** · SUPERCONDUCTING SYSTEMS, INC · 2020 · $252,090

## Abstract

Abstract:
 This application proposes to demonstrate that the more economic cryogen-free magnets
operating at moderate fields of 0.5T-1T, and integrated with cryocooled RF coils, can produce
signal to noise ratios (SNR) that are potentially comparable to those of 1.5 T MRI scanners with
conventional RF coils. This project paves the way towards high-performance, smaller size, and
lower cost MRI scanners suited to the emerging interventional and point-of-care applications. It
is well established that reducing the RF coil resistance by cooling is advantageous for either
small coils or low fields. Because the required scan time decreases in proportion to the square
of SNR, even modest improvements in SNR are highly advantageous, especially in
interventional and point-of-care situations. The first Aim of the Phase I effort is to demonstrate
the feasibility of obtaining significantly higher SNR by conduction-cooling of RF receive coils,
and establish the tradeoffs between field strength, magnet size (cost), and SNR gained by
cryocooling of the RF receive coil. The second Aim of Phase I is to use results of this tradeoff
study to design a practical cryogen-free magnet for head-MRI that includes an integrated
cryocooled RF receive coil that will be built in Phase II of this work. The addition of cryocooled
RF receive coils (higher SNR) to the magnet is provided at a small incremental cost to the
magnet system. SSI, the applicant, has a proven record in the development of advanced
cryogen-free MRI magnets under SBIR funding, and several international medical device
companies have adopted (licensed) SSI’s MRI cryogen-free magnet technology.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10081755
- **Project number:** 1R43EB030454-01
- **Recipient organization:** SUPERCONDUCTING SYSTEMS, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Shahin Pourrahimi
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $252,090
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10081755

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10081755, Reducing the Size and Cost of MRI by Using a Zero-He Moderate-Field MRI Magnet Integrated with a Cryocooled RF Coil (1R43EB030454-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10081755. Licensed CC0.

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