MRI 2.0

Project summary

Although chest Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology has improved, acquiring high-resolution scans of the lungs is still problematic. One of the problems is a low signal-to-noise ratio due to low proton density and motion sensitivity. A patient needs to move as little as possible, which is especially challenging for children. MRI, however, has advantages over CT that justify its further development. The most important advantage is the absence of ionizing radiation, which allows for frequent scanning and assessing functional aspects of the lung and airways and of perfusion. Another important advantage is better tissue characterization compared to CT.
The aim of this projects is to investigate the usefulness of MRI as an alternative diagnostic technique to assess the upper and central airways and to assess lung parechyma in children with various airway and lung diseases.

With this research project we hope to further develop MRI as a safe method for the imaging of pediatric airways and lung parenchyma.