USC researchers develop 3D printed MRI sensors for infants
Flexible, low-cost coils deliver sharper images of small organs and adapt as young patients grow
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have developed flexible, 3D printed sensors for MRI machines that can be produced in under 10 minutes and for about $30. In testing, the sensors produced roughly four times greater image contrast than standard commercial versions.
The devices, known as coils, act as antennas that pick up signals generated by MRI machines. Yasser Khan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, whose lab designs and 3D prints the coils, said: “By making customized MRI equipment faster and more affordable to produce, we have the potential to bring better imaging to patients who have traditionally had fewer options, especially infants and children. We’re bringing a level of precision and customization to MRI that isn’t available today.”
Standard coils, sized for adults, can leave gaps between the coil surface and skin when applied to infants and children, weakening signal capture. In addition, equipment that fits at one stage may not fit as well months later as a child grows.
The team spent about three years developing a process for 3D printing conductive silver ink onto a thermoplastic elastomer that stretches 5–10%, letting coils bend and move with the body.
“For a growing child, that could mean creating different coils as the body changes,” Khan said. “The goal is to give children access to imaging equipment designed for their bodies, so doctors can get the clearest picture possible as they grow.”
The project paired Khan’s lab with the Dynamic Imaging Science Center, led by Krishna Shrinivas Nayak, and clinical input from John Wood, director of cardiovascular MRI at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
“We need environments where different ideas can collide,” Khan said. “This project wouldn’t have happened without access to the MRI and conversations with cardiologists, radiologists and imaging scientists. When you bring that expertise together, you can solve problems none of us could solve alone.”
