Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Magnetic resonance imaging is a proven and powerful tool in medical diagnostics. Along with biomedical applications, magnetic resonance (MR), the phenomenon behind MRI, can be applied to a range of nondestructive testing problems, for example structural health monitoring in buildings, quality control of food products, and process monitoring in polymer manufacturing. Conventional MR is costly, requiring large superconducting magnets to generate the carefully controlled magnetic fields which make this technology work. MR compatible magnetic fields must traditionally be generated inside of an enclosed tube - like a hospital MRI machine - which makes it difficult or impossible to measure many samples. Low cost, open magnets would be a more affordable alternative to conventional medical MRI machines which would be of great benefit in developing countries or more remote locations such as northern Canada. Simplified quality control MR measurements would benefit industry in terms of cost savings and increased product quality. I am developing ways of designing MR magnets which overcome these difficulties, lowering cost using permanent magnets, and projecting the required magnetic field into an open volume in order to accommodate a wider range of measurement samples. This design work requires feedback including (1) mapping the magnetic field patterns of magnets constructed based on the design techniques being developed, (2) MR measurements using the constructed magnets - this provides feedback which allows designs to be numerically optimized, and opportunities to develop signal processing techniques to correct data corrupted by the less than ideal magnetic field generated by open magnets. With the ability to make these MR measurements, I will also work with research and industry partners to develop new sensing techniques for applications such as healthcare and quality control. For these applications, I am requesting a benchtop spectrometer - the apparatus providing experimental control for MR experiments, a Gaussmeter - a magnetic field sensor used to make 3D maps of magnetic fields, and a 3-axis position system for use in field mapping and MR experiment automation.