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TT: Fachverband Tiefe Temperaturen
TT 49: Superconductivity: Superconducting Electronics I
TT 49.4: Talk
Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 10:30–10:45, H 2053
Ex vivo continuous Overhauser nuclear dynamic polarization in a SQUID-based ultralow-field magnetic resonance imaging system — •Paul Fehling1, Rebekka Bernard1, Rolf Pohmann1, Matthias Rudolph1,2, Dieter Koelle2, Reinhold Kleiner2, Klaus Scheffler1, and Kai Buckenmaier1 — 1Max Planck Institut for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Ring 11, 72076 Tübingen, Germany — 2Physikalisches Institut and Center for Quantum Science (CQ) in LISA+, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (ODNP) is a hyperpolarization method for magnetic resonance measurements. The polarization of free radicals is transferred to 1H using HF pulses, thus enhancing the 1H signal. Only at UltraLow Fields (ULF) below 10 mT the corresponding HF pulse frequencies are low enough to penetrate large sample volumes, making continuous in vivo hyperpolarization possible. Since conventional Faraday coils are not sensitive enough at ULF, a SQUID-based detector is employed as the centerpiece of the ULF-MRI Scanner. With a superconducting second order gradiometric pickup coil the SQUID enables measurements with a sensitivity below 1 fT/√Hz. First proof-of-principle ex vivo images using ODNP enhanced, SQUID based ULF-MRI have been acquired successfully. This is an important step in the direction of a combined ULF MRI and magnetoencephalography system.