In vivo biomicroscopy of the skin with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and high frequency ultrasound
Liffers, A.; Vogt, M.; Ermert, H.
Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical Engineering 48(5): 130-134
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0013-5585 PMID: 12838795 Document Number: 555988
Noninvasive imaging and characterization of the skin is of great interest in dermatology. In order to get relevant diagnostic information, high-resolution imaging techniques have to be applied. Ultrasonic imaging is a potential method for this purpose where the special requirements concerning the spatial resolution make it essential to apply high frequency ultrasound (HFUS). Alternatively, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), being a very promising imaging modality, also shows the perspective of becoming a valuable diagnostic tool in dermatology. However, to account for the small dimensions of the structures under observation, very specialized system designs have to be developed. In this paper, a HFUS imaging system working in the 50 MHz and 100 MHz range is applied for high-resolution skin imaging. Furthermore, a commercial MRI-system was equipped with specially designed low noise rf (radio frequency) coils with minimized volume, and customized imaging sequences were applied to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. With HFUS and high-resolution magnetic resonance (HR-MR) imaging complementary imaging techniques for in vivo biomicroscopy of the skin are available.