Christopher Mershon1,
Alex Squires1, Yabiao Gao1, Kevin C. Chan2,
Zion Tse1
1College
of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; 2Departments
of Ophthalmology and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,
United States
Magic Angle (MA) effect has been demonstrated in tendon and cartilage MRI studies, where positioning these structures at approximately 55 can increase T2/T2* values and signal intensity. An automated positioner, using a custom-designed pneumatic motor and optical encoder, could permit accurate placement of tissues. Results showed MA enhanced high-resolution imaging of the tendinous and fibrous microstructures by 218% in a 9.4T small-bore scanner along with excellent MRI compatibility of the positioner. The positioner may be applicable to other orientation-sensitive MR techniques and potential in vivo animal studies.