Previous Photos of the Month
Photo of the Month - July 2009
In recent months, the open-access, low-field MRI system - built for posture-dependent lung imaging in the Walsworth Group laboratory - has been redesigned and modified signficantly. The imager, previously seen here, is about to be relocated to the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. Shown above is half of the MRI magnet after the majority of the aluminum support flange has been cut away. Acrylic inserts have been fabricated to take the place of the aluminum flange, and allow the remaining parts of the imager (gradient coils, etc) to be bolted in place. Matt Rosen is shown checking the alignment of the first plastic insert and with the annular aluminum flange. More details on this long-running project can be found here.
May 2009
During the month of May, the open-access, low-field MRI system built for posture-dependent lung imaging in the Walsworth Group laboratory, will be undergoing some serious changes. The imager, previously seen here, is being dismantled prior to its relocation to the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital. During this time, a number of important design upgrades and modifications will also be carried out. Shown above is half of the MRI magnet while still on its frame, after the first coil and support flange had been removed. On the right, the second coil is slowly removed from the support flange. More details on this long-running project can be found here.
April 2009
At the beginning of the month, the 50th Experimental NMR Conference was held at its "spiritual home", the Asilomar Conference Grounds near Monterey in California. In a change from recent years, the poster exhibit was moved into an underground parking lot at the Asilomar site, removing the need for a large tent on the Asilomar grounds. The weather was clear and sunny, although a cold wind kept everyone on their toes. A special session on Tuesday afternoon commemorated the half-century of history of the conference, and recalled some of the most important presentations from the past. Ron was fortunate enough to have been invited to give a plenary talk on the latest results from the nitrogen-vacancy diamond magnetic-field sensing work. More news about the exciting nitrogen-vacancy diamond project can be found here.
February 2009
In a spin-off from our silicon nanoparticle/molecular imaging project (in collaboration with the Marcus group from the Harvard Physics Department), we have begun testing the electron spin resonance properties of nanoparticles with metallic coatings. James McIver, a graduate student in the Marcus group, has been spending time in our lab developing a simple bench-top ESR system to begin these measurements. James is shown with his apparatus in the Walsworth group laboratories. More news about the exciting nanopartciel project can be found here.
