UltraScan: Ultrasound-based gating for cardiac MRIs

Our project aims to improve the quality of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a high-resolution and radiation-free imaging modality, by improving existing methods for cardiac gating. Taking MRI images requires stillness, making cardiac MRIs difficult due the cardiac and respiratory cycles. The widely-used method for cardiac gating is electrocardiogram, which becomes distorted in the strong magnetic field of an MRI and does not directly measure cardiac movement. To better meet the needs of cardiologists, we propose using an ultrasound as the gating device within a cardiac MRI. Ultrasounds are the “gold standard” of gating and directly measure the mechanical movements of the heart using sound waves, which spares them from magnetic interference during the scan. Our device situates a MR-compatible ultrasound probe in the receiver coil of the MRI, allowing for continuous imaging of the heart for gating. The adjustable bracket system allows for easy but secure positioning of the probe for the entirety of the scan. Using the ultrasound improves the accuracy of the gating by producing a more robust signal corresponding to the cardiac cycle. Altogether, our innovations improve the gating capabilities during cardiac MRIs, increasing image quality in turn.