MetaSurface - A compact device to drastically reduce MRI scanning times

Rising to the Nicholson Challenge. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the leading
technique for diagnostic medicine, biology, and neuroscience. It is the only method capable of
measuring brain neural activity, detecting early cancerous cells, imaging nanoscale biological
structures, controlling fluid dynamics and functional cardiovascular imaging. The demand for
MRI scans is increasing year after year, resulting in longer waiting times due to a limited
number of machines. In addition, there is greater requirements for higher resolution imaging
using higher static magnetic fields (3T or higher), however these machines are bulkier and
more expensive. These factors place huge pressure on the NHS to meet the demand within
existing budget constraints and resources.
This project will investigate the feasibility of a breakthrough invention to drastically increase
MRI efficiency by improving its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). MetaSurface is MediWise’s
“smart” material technology, a proprietary non-ferous metallo-dielectric grid compact
structure. It is a comfortable yoga mat-like structure, positioned underneath a patient’s body as
they lay flat on the MRI table. It is a passive device with no electrical or mechanical parts and
can be easily repositioned or moved from one machine to another.
The project will expand upon preliminary experimental and pre-clinical data and will deliver a
new prototype that will be used on human subjects for the first time. This technical feasibility
study will demonstrate MetaSurface’s performance enhancement reporting on SNR, MRI
image acquisition speed, sensitivity and image resolution.
MetaSurface is machine-agnostic. It can be used with any commercial MRI scanner for any
field-strength and has the potential to increase the patient throughput by 50% which is
translated in millions of pounds of savings per year for the NHS.