Agenda

Symposium MRI for Low-Resource Setting

• Thursday, 27 September 2018
• 13:30-15:00
• Science Center, Mekelzaal 2, Mijnbouwstraat 120, 2628 RX Delft

Sustainable Low-Field MRI Technology for Point of Care Diagnostics in Low-Income Countries

MRIs are expensive and require sophisticated facilities to use them, which is why many people worldwide do not have access to this diagnostic service. Luckily an interdisciplinary team of scientists and medical professionals from the Netherlands (TU Delft and LUMC), the US (Penn State) and Uganda (MUST) is working on creating an affordable and simple MRI scanner. Want to know more? Come to the symposium!

In the talk, Steven Schiff of Penn State University (USA) and Johnes Obungoloch of Mbarara University (Uganda) will explain how their Ultra-low field MRI technology is a response to the need for appropriate medical technologies in countries like those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Together with TU Delft and LUMC they intend to use simple non-cooled magnets that can do the job by combining them with algorithms and a reference set of advanced MRI images. The ultimate goal is to create an MRI scanner that is inexpensive and that can be assembled, operated and maintained in developing countries. Their initial focus is hydrocephalus – the most common condition in children worldwide that requires brain imaging and neurosurgical treatment.