Danish National 7T MR Project

As of 2015, the DRCMR operates one of the strongest MR scanners worldwide and the only one of its caliber in Denmark. The purchase of ths state-of-the-art MR system from Phillips Healthcare was made possible by the John and Birthe Meyer Foundation and the Danish Agence for Science, Technology and Innovation.

The field strength of 7 tesla (T) corresponds with roughly 140.000 times the earth magnetic field and is generated by a 44 ton superconducting electromagnet with its inner part cooled 7T log final by liquid helium to around -270°C/-450 °F/3 K.

The ultra-high magnetic field strength of 7T enables us to uncover structure, function and chemistry of the body’s interior with unprecedented precision. As such, it gives us a much more detailed insight into human (patho)physiology as compared to clinical MR scanners, which typically range from 1.5 to 4T. Particularly brain research benefits from the ultra-high field strength.

In the scope of the Danish National 7T MR Project, the 7T scanner is available as a research resource to the whole of Denmark. 7T MR scanners are not approved for clinical use, hence the scanner is fully dedicated to research.

Current 7T projects include:

Brain diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and spectroscopy (DWS) in multiple sclerosis (MS)
Brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in schizophrenia
Brain 1H-MRS, structural imaging and cognition across the lifespan
Liver carbon (13C) MRS in diabetes
A particular focus lies on the development of new MR methodologies and hardware.

National collaborations involve:

Technical University of Denmark
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen University Hospitals

International collaborations have been established with:

Lund University, Sweden
Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
Korea Basic Science Institute, South Korea