The University of Iowa has put in an order for a mighty powerful 7 Tesla MRI scanner from GE for conducting various brain studies, including functional imaging, tumor tracking, as well as high-res anatomy scans.
Though this is a whole body scanner, it will be used solely for research. The most powerful clinical scanners today are 3T, so the new system will help give a new look at the insides of the brain.
The GE 7.0T MR imaging scanner will provide ultra-high field whole body scanning capabilities for MRI research. It will be housed in the University’s new Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Institute, currently under construction. It is being acquired by the University of Iowa to support the research efforts of 33 funded National Institutes of Health investigators from five colleges (medicine, engineering, public health, liberal arts and sciences, and business) with more than 40 NIH grants. This group of researchers from University of Iowa has a wide range of interests including functional brain mapping, high-resolution anatomical imaging of the brain, spectroscopy of the brain, evaluation of tumor response to treatment and cardiovascular imaging.
Press release: University of Iowa Selects GE 7T MRI to collaborate on Research into Brain Disorders