Modul Preisträger 2023 | Deutscher Zukunftspreis

Open to all – a new MRT for the world

Dr.-Ing. Stephan Biber, Dr. rer. nat. David M. Grodzki and Prof. Dr. med. Michael Uder were awarded the Deutscher Zukunftspreis in 2023 for their innovation.

(f.l.t.r.) Dr. rer. nat. David M. Grodzki, Dr.-Ing. Stephan Biber,
Prof. Dr. med. Michael Uder

They found a solution to make magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology usable worldwide – even in countries and regions where financial means and technical possibilities are limited. The three prizewinners developed an innovative platform which represents a radical departure from the paradigm “ever larger, ever more powerful” exemplary of the previous technological progress in this field. They succeeded for the first time to produce high-resolution and diagnostically accurate images of the body using MRI despite employing comparably weaker magnetic field strengths. This considerably reduces both the technical complexity as well as the cost of the scanners.

The principle behind magnetic resonance tomography is based on the magnetic properties of the atomic nuclei of hydrogen. Using a magnetic field, the otherwise randomly orientated spins of the nuclei can be arranged almost fully parallel. They are then diverted from this direction by a pulsed radio wave before returning to the parallel alignment. This releases energy that can be measured as an electromagnetic signal and then converted into an image. These images provide the medical information. The spatial resolution of MRI images increases with the magnetic field strength. In the past, this resulted in a focus on the development of MRI scanners with increasingly higher fields strengths, while, at the same time, the platforms became ever more complex, larger, and heavier – as well as more costly. That is why the use of state-of-the-art, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging was not possible all over the world.

These are obstacles the prizewinners have removed. By combining a bundle of specific innovations, they have made high-resolution MRI examinations possible using a relatively weak magnetic field to produce high-quality images for diagnostics. They succeeded by using new imaging techniques and image reconstruction methods with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The user interface was also greatly simplified with the help of AI. The necessary cooling of the magnets takes place in a closed circuit that dramatically reduces the amount of helium required and allows the platform to resume full operation rapidly even after a longer power failure, and there is also no need to procure additional helium. From these innovations come operator-friendly, compact and lightweight systems which make installation much simpler. The design also accommodates the uniquely large tube diameter and makes the new MRI generation “open to all”.

The module representing the 2023 prizewinners emphasizes these elements of the innovation and at the same time fits into the existing design concept. The highly visible copper-colored rings of varying size on the module symbolise this very material part of the success. Visitors can physically experience and recognize the notable difference in tube size, understand the advantage it has for overweight patients or those suffering from anxiety disorders who did not have patient-friendly access to MRI examinations in the past.

Rings are also a symbol of connection and responsibility: “Open to all” is also representative of the second part of this success, the access now available to millions of people worldwide and the opportunity of diagnoses, treatment, healing and thus receiving healthcare in their home countries thanks to the ready availability of the platforms.

Placed in an all-round glass display case at the top of the module to attract attention is a 1:10 model of the new MRI scanner generation, representing in a completely different way what makes the innovation so special and showcasing its aesthetics, compact design and innovative technology.
Its key elements are presented in the exhibits in the display case in the module base: Multifilament superconductor blanks, on display here as a disk and rod, and the superconducting wire drawn from them. The main magnets used in the Magnetom Free platform consist of several individual coils which together contain many kilometers of the superconducting wire.

Next to it is the segment of a gradient coil. To generate the MR signal and ultimately an image, in addition to the magnetic field and radio frequency pulses, a gradient coil with three axes is needed to produce the modulated magnetic fields along the three dimensions. This is what achieves the signal’s spatial resolution.

The explanatory screen in the module provides in-depth information about the technical structure of previous MRI platforms and the developments and special features of the new small and compact design. At the media terminal, visitors will find interesting statements of the three prizewinners on the innovation’s development and their shared journey to its realisation. The clip of the award ceremony provided by ZDF, one of Germany’s national public broadcasters, again vividly presents this journey and describes the innovation’s potential.

Impressions

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The module of the winners 2023

Impressions