Ultrahigh field MRI

Ultrahigh field (UHF) magnetic resonance imaging refers to imaging done on any MRI scanner with a main magnetic field (B0) strength of 7 tesla or greater. Until recently purely a research tool, following the introduction of the first 7 T clinical scanner in 2017, there are now a slowly increasing number of academic centers worldwide with ultrahigh field scanners in clinical use. Several research scanners with even higher field strength than 7 T are in operation .

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • increase in side effects: dizziness, nausea, metallic dysgeusia, vertigo
  • increased magnetic susceptibility
    • image degradation artifacts
  • increased specific absorption rate (SAR)
    •  smaller flip angles, longer TRs, prolonged breath holds, decreased slices
  • increased T1 relaxation time
    • prolonged acquisition time
  • decreased T2/T2* relaxation time
  • increased data may become computationally heavy