Development of a Multichannel RF Coil for Investigating the Effects of Physical Training and Hypoxia in Animal o Models Using 7T MRI

• Grant number: 25/20760-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Papoti
• Grantee: Márcio Kenji Uehara
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/02728-3 - Hypoxia and physical training: implications on sports performance and health, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project aims to develop an eight-channel receive-only radiofrequency (RF) coil for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy acquisitions in animal models, to be used on the only 7 Tesla (7T) clinical scanner in Latin America, located at the Institute of Radiology (INRAD) of the University of São Paulo Medical School (FMUSP). The RF coil will be designed and built at the Department of Physics (DF) of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar). All tests, image quality assessments, and applications will be carried out on the 7T scanner at INRAD-FMUSP, enabling non-invasive studies of potential anatomical, functional, and metabolic alterations in the brain and musculoskeletal system using rats as animal models. The goal is to investigate the effects of physical training under hypobaric hypoxia (HH) conditions. This project is part of the recently approved FAPESP thematic grant (process no. 2023/02728-3) entitled "Hypoxia and Physical Training: Implications for Sports Performance and Health." The proposed RF coil will be optimized to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) during signal reception, taking into account the anatomy of Wistar rats. This will enable high-resolution anatomical acquisitions with different tissue contrasts (T1, T2, and proton density), as well as angiography. To achieve this, the project proposes the development of an eight-channel receive-only RF coil, including the assembly of a modular box containing a set of low-noise preamplifiers, along with a stereotaxic positioning system using 3D printing to properly position the animals inside the clinical 7T scanner. (AU)