In Vivo Imaging With a Low‐Cost MRI Scanner and Cloud Data Processing in Low‐Resource Settings

NMR in Biomedicine, vol. 39, pp. e70293

Abstract

PURPOSE: To demonstrate in-vivo imaging with a low-cost, low-field MRI scanner built and operated in Africa, and to show how systematic hardware and software improvements can mitigate the main operational limitations encountered in low-resource environments. METHODS: A 46 mT Halbach scanner located at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda) was upgraded through a complete reorganization of grounding and shielding, installation of new control electronics and open-source user-interface software. Noise performance was quantified using a standardized protocol and in-vivo brain images were acquired with three-dimensional RARE sequences. Distortion correction was implemented using cloud-based reconstructions incorporating magnetic field maps. RESULTS: The revamped system reached noise levels routinely below three times the thermal limit and demonstrated stable operation over multi-day measurements. Three-dimensional T1- and T2-weighted brain images were successfully acquired and distortion-corrected with remote GPU-based reconstructions and near real-time visualization through the user interface. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that low-cost MRI systems can achieve clinically relevant image quality when electromagnetic noise and power-grid instabilities are properly addressed. This work highlights the feasibility of sustainable MRI development in low-resource settings and identifies stable power delivery and local capacity building as the key next steps toward clinical translation.

Authors 16

1. Teresa Guallart‐Naval

   Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular · Universitat Politècnica de València

   Affiliation as printed

   MRILab, Institute for Molecular Imaging and Instrumentation (i3M) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) & Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) Valencia Spain

2. Robert Asiimwe

   Mbarara University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

3. Patricia Tusiime

   Mbarara University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

4. Mary Anthony Nassejje

   Mbarara University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

5. Leo Kinyera

   Mbarara University of Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

6. Maureen Nayebare Aachen Department of Radiology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands

   Mbarara University of Science and Technology · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

   Department of Radiology Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) Leiden the Netherlands

7. Marina Fernandez Garcia

   Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular · Universitat Politècnica de València

   Affiliation as printed

   MRILab, Institute for Molecular Imaging and Instrumentation (i3M) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) & Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) Valencia Spain

8. Lucas Swistunow

   Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular · Universitat Politècnica de València

   Affiliation as printed

   MRILab, Institute for Molecular Imaging and Instrumentation (i3M) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) & Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) Valencia Spain

9. José Miguel Algarín

   Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular · Universitat Politècnica de València

   Affiliation as printed

   MRILab, Institute for Molecular Imaging and Instrumentation (i3M) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) & Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) Valencia Spain

10. John Stairs

    Universidad Comunera

    Affiliation as printed

    Facultad de Ciencias Aplicadas Universidad Comunera Asuncion Paraguay

11. Michael S. Hansen

    Universidad Comunera

    Affiliation as printed

    Facultad de Ciencias Aplicadas Universidad Comunera Asuncion Paraguay

12. Ronald Amodoi

    Mbarara University of Science and Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

13. Joshua R. Harper

    Yale University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA

    Department of Neurosurgery Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA

14. Steven J. Schiff

    McGill University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering McGill University Montreal Canada

15. Johnes Obungoloch

    Mbarara University of Science and Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biomedical Engineering Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Mbarara Uganda

16. Joseba Alonso corresponding

    Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular · Universitat Politècnica de València

    Affiliation as printed

    MRILab, Institute for Molecular Imaging and Instrumentation (i3M) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) & Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) Valencia Spain