Martin van Gijzen - Research - MRI

Inexpensive and Sustainable MRI

Goal

To develop an inexpensive and sustainable MRI device to diagnose hydrocephalus in Uganda.

Motivation

Each year, more than 100,000 infants develop hydrocephalus in sub-Saharan Africa. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most effective tool to diagnose hydrocephalus. However, in developing countries like Uganda, conventional MRI devices are too expensive to acquire and too difficult to install, maintain, and operate. The lack of access to MRI technology leads to inadequate diagnosis and innefective treatment of many children, which in turn leads to severe brain damage and ultimately death.

Description

In order to provide a sustainable diagnostic tool we will develop an inexpensive and easy-to-use MRI system of sufficient quality to diagnose hydrocephalus and manage its surgical treatment. In this project, we will:

Investigate two approaches based on an inexpensive electromagnet and on a permanent magnet, respectively.
Use off-the-shelf electronic components and public domain software to construct a sustainable device for approximately 50,000 Euros, a significant savings compared to several million Euros for a conventional multipurpose, whole-body MRI device.
Develop advanced image reconstruction algorithms to improve the quality of the images obtained with the new MRI device.
Test the new MRI device on-site in collaboration with local practitioners, in clinical trials at the main treating hospital for patients with hydrocephalus in Uganda.

Partners and Associates

A multidisciplinary team of practitioners and scientists with the expertise and access needed to carry out the entire development chain, from design through clinical trials in Uganda.