Researchers have developed an innovative MRI antenna that improves image quality and reduces scan times without requiring modifications to existing MRI systems. The technology, based on so-called metamaterials, can be particularly useful for structures that are difficult to access, such as areas of the brain and the eye socket.
The research was led by PhD student Nandita Saha, who works in Professor Thoralf Niendorf's Experimental Ultrahigh Field Magnetic Resonance lab at the Max Delbrück Center. The team worked closely with researchers from Rostock University Medical Center, where the clinical validation of the technology is being supported.
Hardware bottleneck
MRI works by sending radio signals (RF) into the body and measuring the response of tissues in a strong magnetic field. The stronger the returning signal, the better the image quality. Traditional RF coils, the antennas that transmit and receive signals, struggle to pick up sufficient signal from deep or anatomically complex areas. This leads to less sharp images and longer scan times.
The research team addressed this bottleneck by integrating metamaterials into the MRI antenna. Metamaterials are artificially designed structures that direct electromagnetic waves in a controlled manner. Applying this technology allows the RF field to be directed more efficiently, increasing signal strength and improving spatial resolution. The results have been published in Advanced Materials.
Crucially, the new antenna is compatible with existing MRI systems. No new infrastructure is required. The technology was tested on volunteers with imaging of the eye and eye socket at a field strength of 7.0 Tesla. According to Professor Oliver Stachs, co-author from Rostock, the innovation enables anatomically detailed MRI of the eye and offers the prospect of better visualizing (patho)physiological processes.
Faster, sharper, and more comfortable
For patients, MRI examinations can be time-consuming and stressful, especially when scans have to be repeated due to insufficient image quality. Faster scans reduce the time spent in the scanner, while sharper images help doctors make diagnoses with greater certainty. The compact and lightweight antenna can also be better tailored to specific body parts, which can increase comfort.
The technology also offers other applications. For example, the RF field can be used in a more targeted manner to limit unwanted heating around medical implants. In addition, the technique can be used in MRI-guided therapies, such as hyperthermia or thermal ablation in cancer treatment.
According to Niendorf, the antenna can be adapted for MRI systems with higher or lower field strengths and for imaging other organs, such as the heart and kidneys. Special MRI techniques using other atoms, such as sodium or fluorine, could also benefit from stronger signals and sharper images.
The researchers are planning follow-up studies in multiple hospitals and are working on applications for other organs. This innovation is thus taking the next step toward a new generation of MRI technology.
Improving MRI quality with AI
In 2024, the Dutch hospital Zaans Medisch Centrum, eliminated waiting lists voor MRI-scans by implementation of AI-based image reconstruction software, Deep Resolve. The additional scanner doubled capacity, while shared control room operations improved staffing efficiency, reducing personnel needs per scan by 25 percent. Deep Resolve shortens scan times and enhances image quality. Although initial expectations suggested major time savings, ZMC reports an average reduction of 18 percent, rising to 33 percent for high-volume exams such as knee, lumbar spine and cervical spine scans.
Last year Philips and Mayo Clinic launched a research collaboration to explore how AI can enhance cardiac MRI. The partnership aims to shorten complex MRI examinations, streamline radiology workflows and improve operational efficiency. Faster scans could expand access to high-quality cardiac imaging, particularly as ischemic heart disease accounts for 13 percent of global deaths. By combining Mayo Clinic’s patented AI with Philips’ AI-driven MRI technologies, the partners seek to reduce scan times and improve usability, even enabling less experienced radiologists to perform complex exams.
