We recently created an example video of how a brain protocol can be executed in the virtual MRI scanner and published it on YouTube. In this post we will provide some additional detail on what the operator is doing in the demonstration. The images from the session are in real time, it is being performed on a regular laptop with an internet connection and captured via one of the most common free screen capture softwares.
- To start off, we select the appropriate RF coil for the exam, which in this case, is the Birdcage Rx head coil.
- We then proceed to set-up and scan a Sagittal T1 Weighted Turbo Spin Echo scan which we align with all three scout imaging planes (COR, TRA, SAG). We use this scan as an anatomical overview of the brain. We also use this scan to find a midline slice to locate the axis of the anterior-posterior commissure. This anatomical landmark will be used for proper alignment and orientation of the subsequent axial/coronal scans.
- The next sequence that is set-up and scanned is an Axial T2 Weighted Turbo Spin Echo which we set-up off of the previous Sagittal T1W TSE scan, aligning parallel with the anterior-posterior commissure axis. Slice coverage is usually from below the tonsils of the Cerebellum to the superior surface of the Cerebrum.
- The following scan is an Axial FLAIR Turbo Spin Echo scan. The slice coverage for the Ax FLAIR is copied directly from the prior Ax T2W TSE so as to maintain.
- For the following scan, the Sagittal T1 Weighted Turbo Spin Echo is cloned and slice plane orientation and coverage is changed to the axial plane by copying the slice coverage directly from the Ax T2W TSE.
- For the final scan, we set-up and scan an Oblique Coronal FLAIR Turbo Spin Echo scan that we align perpendicularly to the temporal lobes, covering from anterior to the temporal lobes through the Hippocampi.
This is not a clinical scan, but an example to highlight the potential of our simulator. The simulator can be used for a variety of applications and be a very valuable asset for students or seasoned professionals alike. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to know more!
