3 T/70 cm Philips MR7700

human imaging – "Philips 3T"

3 T/70 cm Philips MR7700

McKnight Brain Institute, LG-114

System Information

This Philips whole-body 3 T MRI scanner features a 70 cm bore and includes the latest acquisition techniques for human MRI research, including multinuclear capabilities (¹H, ³¹P, ²H deuterium, and ¹²⁹Xe), functional MRI (fMRI) and advanced diffusion imaging (dMRI), magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), spectroscopy (MRI/S), whole-body scanning, and more. The extra space better accommodates in-bore equipment, including the Resoundant probe for MR elastography and hyperpolarized gas delivery hardware for ¹²⁹Xe imaging. The magnet provides the largest homogeneous field of view (55 cm) in a commercial 70 cm system while still providing strong gradients.

The MR7700 is equipped with Philips’ unique broadband digital MR architecture, the d-STREAM, which samples the MR signal directly at the coil and transmits it via fiber optics to reduce noise and increase SNR. The system supports the latest technologies for neuro, cardiac, MSK, liver, and whole-body imaging including Compressed SENSE technology, and numerous RF coil and pulse sequence packages for advanced MR imaging and spectroscopy research.

The scanner is operated by accredited, licensed, and experienced MRI technologists.

For more information please contact Dr. Jens Rosenberg at rosenb@ufl.edu, phone 352-294-8811, or Tammy Nicholson at tammyrnicholson@mbi.ufl.edu.

System Console Model: MR7700 / 70 cm · Software Release: R5.9

Highlighted Capabilities

Available Coils

Available Patches

¹²⁹Xe MRI and MRS

The AMRIS Philips MR7700 supports a comprehensive hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe imaging and spectroscopy program, enabling non-invasive, highly regionalized assessment of pulmonary ventilation, gas exchange, and alveolar microstructure. Hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe gas is produced on-site via spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) using a Polarean hyperpolarizer, delivering clinically relevant polarization levels for human lung studies. The extra-wide 70 cm bore facilitates comfortable breath-hold positioning and easier integration of Xe delivery hardware. A dedicated ¹²⁹Xe chest coil and Philips multinuclear platform provide the hardware foundation for both imaging and spectroscopic acquisitions.

Industry collaborations: Polarean Inc. • Spinhance Inc. • Philips Healthcare

For ¹²⁹Xe feasibility, access, or protocol development inquiries, contact Dr. Jens Rosenberg.

Data Storage

Users are responsible for retrieving their data immediately after collection. With limited storage space on the workstation, data availability beyond 48 hours is not guaranteed.

The 3T facility offers a cloud-based UF hosting service (SMB Share drive) accessible from Mac, Windows, and Linux computers via Gator ID credentials. Each group/PI has a dedicated folder for Dicoms, Twix, raw data, and screenshots. Both scanners are connected to the SMB Share.

Important: This is TEMPORARY storage with limited space. Data must be copied to permanent storage and REMOVED within 1 week of the MRI session. Data stored beyond 1 week may be deleted without notice.

External hard drives, including encrypted drives not requiring software installation on the workstation, may also be used.

Visual Projection System

For visual presentation, the scanner room is equipped with an Ultra High Definition 32″ display featuring a 3840×2160 LCD panel with wide colour gamut LED backlight and high-bandwidth HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB Type-C interfaces.

Subject Response System

An MRI-compatible fiber-optic response gathering system from Current Designs is available, featuring automatic handheld device identification, optical triggering, and 32 channels with automatic gain adjustment and response device identification.

The primary output is full-speed USB for straightforward interfacing with any hardware or software. RS-232 serial and TTL parallel outputs are also available. Currently available response devices include 2-button, 8-button, scroll-click, and trackball devices.

Physiological Measurements

MRI-compatible physiological monitoring from BioPac Inc. consists of modules for ECG, SpO₂, and blood pressure. Additional modules may be added at the user’s expense. All consumables (wipes, ECG leads, gel, etc.) must be provided by each research group. This equipment is shared between the Philips MR7700 and Siemens Prisma. Contact Dr. Rosenberg for further information.

Ancillary Facilities

Four examination rooms are available for subject screening and preparation. Room LG-110E (Philips) and LG-110A (Siemens) are reserved one hour prior to each scheduled exam. Rooms LG-110D and LG-110B can be pre-booked for additional preparation time. Two waiting areas and a space for changing into MRI-appropriate clothing are also provided, along with limited storage for research group MRI equipment.

Booking, Rate, and Cancellations

Booking is on a first-come, first-served basis via the online booking system, after a billing code has been established with the AMRIS Facility. Please check the 3T Philips calendar before submitting a time request. Requests to place holds or for defensive booking are not permitted.

Cancellations for prime-time hours (8 am–2 pm) must be made at least one week in advance. All other times require at least 48 business hours notice. Late cancellations are charged at the full hourly rate unless another billable study can use the time.

Hourly rates (effective July 1, 2024):

• Staffed hours (8 am–5 pm, Monday–Friday): $550/hour
• All other times without staff: $500/hour
• All other times with staff: $550/hour
• Commercial (for-profit) scanning: $1,650/hour

Safety

All personnel must attend an AMRIS general magnet safety class held monthly by Dr. James Collins. Independent scanning requires additional in-person scanner training followed by completion of the online MRI safety module EHS868, available at mytraining.hr.ufl.edu. Completion of both designates users as Level II operators. Contact Tammy Nicholson or Dr. Rosenberg for more information.

Screening forms:

• Screening Form (English)
• Screening Form (Spanish)
• Attendant Screening Form

Subscribe to the AMRIS3T-L Listserv

Subscribe to the AMRIS3T-L listserv to receive announcements about scanner downtime, new capabilities, and facility updates. Send an email from the account you wish to subscribe to listserv@lists.ufl.edu. In the main body of your message, type:

subscribe AMRIS3T-L YourFirstName YourLastName

Note: Edit the message to use your own name and remove any automatic signatures before sending. Once approved, you will receive a confirmation message.

To unsubscribe, send the following in the message body to the same address:

unsubscribe AMRIS3T-L YourFirstName YourLastName

Alternatively, contact the AMRIS Facility Research Coordinator for assistance with your subscription.

Grant Acknowledgement

All publications, presentations, or products that include data acquired on the Philips MR7700 — or involving MagLab-funded AMRIS personnel — must acknowledge the applicable NSF, NIH, and State of Florida grants. Please consult the Facility Acknowledgments page to determine which acknowledgements apply to your project.

Project Development

For any new study, two hours of protocol development time are available on the scanner free of charge. Investigators should discuss their project with Dr. Rosenberg to review the required protocol and confirm that instrumentation, techniques, and sequences are available, with sufficient development and validation time allocated. If necessary, Dr. Rosenberg can assist in developing an imaging protocol; optimizing a specific protocol for a project is critical to obtaining significant data. If development is more involved than standard protocol refinement, or requires significant technical work, the investigator must fund Dr. Rosenberg’s time from their project budget and/or include him as a co-investigator.

New project checklist (PDF)

Instrument Time for Protocol Development

• For pilot studies to acquire preliminary data, funding mechanisms are available through MBI, CTSI, and SECIM at UF.
• For grant proposals requiring MR techniques or protocols not yet available, the application budget must include funds for hardware/software acquisition and Dr. Rosenberg’s development time.
• If required hardware or protocols are not available but would benefit the broader 3T user community, requests may be made to Dr. Rosenberg, Dr. Long, and Dr. Merritt for AMRIS assistance in acquisition, pending advisory committee approval.

Proposals for Advanced Hardware and Extended Project Development

When a new coil, auxiliary equipment, or pulse sequence is purchased or developed, full implementation, calibration, and QC testing may exceed standard development time. If the new capability benefits the broader user community, a request may be submitted for scanner time at no charge, with Dr. Rosenberg providing consulting support through the AMRIS Facility. A development project proposal must be submitted to Dr. Long, Dr. Merritt, and Dr. Rosenberg for review by the 3T advisory committee (meets quarterly). A 2–3-page proposal must include:

• The specific hardware/protocol/sequence proposed (with references), preliminary data supporting feasibility, and information on any partner institutions assisting in a transfer
• Documentation of user demand and funded research projects that will benefit
• A proposed development budget: instrument time, staff consulting time, hardware/software costs, and auxiliary equipment or analysis software costs (with quotes attached)

If approved, the AMRIS Facility will make purchases and allocate development time during off-peak hours. The facility can provide a letter of support for new equipment or protocol development when applying to external funding agencies, provided the advisory committee has approved the project.

Data Analysis

Investigators are encouraged to review their data processing and analysis needs with Dr. Rosenberg to ensure sufficient resources are allocated in grant applications.