3 T/60 cm Siemens Prisma

human imaging – "Siemens 3T"

3 T/60 cm Siemens Prisma

McKnight Brain Institute, LG-100

System Information

This whole-body 3 T MRI scanner from Siemens includes the latest acquisition techniques for human MRI research, such as multinuclear capability (¹H, ³¹P), techniques for functional MRI (fMRI) and advanced diffusion imaging (dMRI), magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), spectroscopy (MRI/S), and whole-body scanning, and much more. The Prisma is equipped with an 80 mT/m @ 200 T/m/s gradient system, parallel transmit capabilities, a series of MR coils, and pulse sequence packages for advanced MR imaging and spectroscopy research of human neuro, body, and MSK systems.

The availability of this system facilitates cross-compatibility with MRI/S facilities at other institutions for multi-center studies, and alignment of UF imaging with big data multi-site studies for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, the Human Connectome Project, and the NIH Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Whole-body scanning capabilities enable needed correlative measurements in obesity, diabetes, osteoarthritis, aging, and dystrophy studies. In addition, the scanner is equipped with many of the tools needed for clinical trials.

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 Model: Magnetom Prisma 3T / 60 cm · Software Release: XA30A

Highlighted Capabilities

Available Coils

Available C2P and Siemens WIP Sequences

The following sequences are available for research use. Interested users should contact Dr. Jens Rosenberg.

Siemens Work-In-Progress (WIP)

• Image-Selected In vivo Spectroscopy (ISIS)
• MRE in collaboration with Mayo Clinic

Siemens C2P

Note: Usage of Siemens WIP or 3rd party sequences may require reference and/or acknowledgement of the developers and associated manuscripts. Please ask Dr. Jens Rosenberg for more information.

Data Storage

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, screenshots, etc. Both scanners are set up to access 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 is equipped with a BOLDscreen 32 from Cambridge Research Systems, featuring a 32″ 1920×1080 IPS LCD panel with native 10-bit RGB color resolution and a contrast ratio of 1400:1. The panel features 120 Hz panel drive capability and a fast 5 ms grey-to-grey response time. The digital video input box (AVI) synchronizes to a 1920×1080 @ 120 Hz video signal and supports inputs at other resolutions and frame rates, including from iPads and streaming media players. Connect via DisplayPort or HDMI.

BOLDscreen 32 AVI Getting Started Guide

Subject Response System

An MRI-compatible fiber-optic response gathering system from Current Designs features 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 three 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.

BioPac consumables list

Ancillary Facilities

Four examination rooms are available for subject screening and preparation. Rooms 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 when additional preparation time is needed. 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 set up with the AMRIS Facility (contact the Office Manager). Please check the 3T Siemens calendar before submitting a time request. Requests to place holds or for defensive booking are not permitted.

Cancellation policy: Prime-time hours (8 am–2 pm) require cancellation one week in advance. All other times require at least 48 business hours (two business days) 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: 7 am–7 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 (without a technologist) 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 that include data obtained through MagLab (AMRIS) instrumentation, or involvement of MagLab-funded personnel at the AMRIS Facility, must acknowledge the corresponding NSF, NIH, and State of Florida grants. Please see the Facility Acknowledgements page to determine which acknowledgements are necessary.

Any users who publish data acquired on the Siemens Prisma must acknowledge the funding source that made this scanner possible. Publications, presentations, or other activities should include the following:

“This work was supported in part by an NIH award, S10 OD021726, for High End Instrumentation.”

Also, please tick the box for grant S10 OD021726 when updating NIH funding on publications through NCBI.

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.