Event

MRI and Magnetic Particles for MRI Diagnostics

UKMagSoc

Feb 27th 2019 - Feb 27th 2019

Oxford, United Kingdom

Updated 12/02/19

This event will bring together industry with academia around developing MRI technologies.

The speakers and audience will be drawn from producers of standard MRI machines, small-scale novel and pre-clinical MRI developers/manufacturers, producers/distributors of magnetic micro- & nano- particles, and academics researching new alternative bio-compatible magnetic nano and micro particles for MRI-based diagnostics, or using MRI as a research tool. Talks and poster session targeted to non-specialist audiences to help stimulate discussion between industry and academia and facilitate the building of consortia. Representatives from the KTN will attend and speak about relevant I-UK (or other) funding opportunities for this area.

Poster submission: There will be interactive poster sessions and poster submissions are encouraged from any participants. Accepted student posters will gain free registration to the event. If you are interested to present a poster, please submit a short abstract (<300 words) plus the poster title, author/contributor names, affiliation addresses, and contact email address of the attendee/presenter. Please also indicate if you are a student (undergraduate/masters/PhD) if you wish to be considered for free registration. Please email the abstract in the form of a Word document to e.galanis@paragraf.com by 2pm on Friday 1st February 2019.

CHAIRS

  • Dr Ellie Castle, Paragraf Ltd
  • Mr Olivier Masseglia, Bartington Instruments
  • Prof Sonia Contera, University of Oxford
  • Ms Alba Piacenti, University of Oxford

VENUE

The venue is the Simpkins Lee Seminar Room on the ground floor of the Beecroft Building – the building in front of the Clarendon Laboratory on this map.

GETTING THERE

Car

There is no parking available near the venue. Oxford is notorious for its parking, and its parking enforcement. The best option is to use the Park and Ride; probably Pear Tree is the closest to the Clarendon.

Parking in Oxford

Many Oxford streets are closed to traffic and parking is severely limited. Visitors are encouraged to use the five Park and Ride bus services.

Please refer to Oxfordshire County Council’s up-to-date traffic information for details of all local road works and any disruptions likely to delay your journey.

Park and Ride

There are five Park and Ride sites which serve Oxford City Centre.

  • Oxford Parkway (north, aka Water Eaton park & Ride)). For satnav use OX2 8HA.  Take the 500 bus to and from the city centre.
  • Pear Tree (north). For satnav use OX2 8JD.  Take the 300 bus to and from the city centre.
  • Redbridge (south). For satnav use OX1 4XG.  Take the 300 bus to and from the city centre.
  • Thornhill (east). For satnav use OX3 8DP.  Take the 400 bus to and from the city centre.
  • Seacourt (west). For satnav use OX2 0HP.  Take the 400 bus to and from the city centre.

Please note that Thornhill and Seacourt are often full, particularly on University Open Days. We recommend that drivers coming from the east (including London), the south and the west use the Redbridge Park and Ride, while drivers arriving from the north can choose between Pear Tree and Oxford Parkway.

The Oxford Bus Company has detailed information on Park and Ride locations, timetables and fares.

Parking in Oxford city centre

Parking in Oxford city centre is limited and can be expensive. For information on car parks, on-street parking and costs of parking, see Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

For information on parking in Oxford for people with disabilities, please see Oxford City Council’s Blue Badge scheme.

Air – London airports

From London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, take The Airline coach service, which runs 24 hours a day. You can also get to Oxford by train from Heathrow via London, and from Gatwick via Reading.

From London Stansted airport, take the Stansted Express train service to Liverpool Street and then take the tube to either Paddington or Marylebone for direct trains to Oxford.   Alternatively there is a National Express 757 coach service.

Trains

Oxford is a mainline railway station, although it is about 30 minutes walk to the Clarendon.

Direct services run from London Paddington (serving Oxford station) and London Marylebone (serving Oxford and Oxford Parkway stations). Other services operate from the north via Birmingham New Street; from the south via Reading; and from the west via Didcot or Reading.

For details and to plan your journey, see National Rail Enquiries.

Please use Google Maps or our interactive map to find your way from the station to the part of the University you are visiting.

Coaches

There are two frequent 24-hour direct services between Oxford and London, the X90 and the Oxford Tube.

For information on coaches from other major cities and airports, contact National Express.

The central coach station is at Gloucester Green in the city centre. Please use Google Maps or our interactive map to find your way from the station to the part of the University you are visiting.

Taxis

There are taxi ranks at Oxford Railway Station, Gloucester Green Coach Station and St Giles’ in the city centre.

A list of taxi companies can be found on Oxfordshire’s Visitor Information Centre website.

DRESS CODE

The dress code for the event is business attire / smart casual.

SPONSORS

Ferrite Level


Speakers

Current Challenges in Magnet Design for MRI
by Dr Mike Mallett of Siemens UK

The MR market has changed dramatically since the first in-vivo MR image of a human finger was generated by Sir Peter Mansfield and his group at Nottingham. The current marketplace covers a wide variety of customer requirements, from low cost, high-throughput MR imaging at one end to ultra-high-field, high resolution fibre tracking and functional imaging at the top end. From using MR systems to intra-operatively monitor the results of surgery to tracking tumour movement during radiotherapy. The current MR market has been dominated by the three major players, Siemens, GE and Philips for the past 20 years. The future challenges to the current magnet suppliers include the emergence of competitors, both privately and government funded in developing economies. The developed MR marketplace faces challenges including declining reimbursement revenue, increased costs associated with infrastructure and availability and cost of staffing resource. Facing the challenges from the developing and developed marketplaces requires new approaches to both the software and hardware used in modern MR systems. The presentation will briefly cover the breadth of MR within the clinical marketplace and the challenges, particularly related to the magnet technology, that are encountered.

Introducing the KTN, Funding Opprtunities
by Dr Ali Anjomshoaa of Knowledge Transfer Network

This talk will introduce the UK’s R&D and innovation support and funding landscape, with a focus on the role of Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network. The UK’s move to the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and funding mechanisms from government strategy will be presented.

Performance of Cryogen-Free Pre-Clinical MRI Magnets
by Dr Owen Taylor of MRS Magnetics Ltd

Before 2010, the only commercial preclinical MRI scanners with a strength of over 3T were large machines weighing many tons and requiring their own room. These “wet” magnets use liquid helium to cool them to 4K requiring expensive top-ups of liquid helium and building alterations for quench-ducting. MR Solutions Ltd has developed a range of scanners available in 3T, 4.7T, 7T and 9.4T with 17, 24 or 26 cm bores. These cryogen-free, dry magnets are far smaller and lighter than traditional big wet magnets. They also have a much smaller fringe field which means they can be installed almost anywhere, including existing labs with space as small as 8m2. This presentation will cover the performance and advantages of cryogen-free, dry magnets. This includes the size of the magnets, the cooldown time and the thermal performance during operation. In addition to MRI scanners, MR Solutions has developed a range of multimodality imaging with PET and SPECT imaging systems that can be mounted directly on MRI and CT systems to provide all of the possible combinations: PET/MR, SPECT/MR, PET/CT and SPECT/CT

MR Guided Proton Therapy
by Dr Erik Van Der Kraaij of Ion Beam Applications SA

MRI guidance in Proton Therapy has the potential to improve tumor-targeting precision. The integration of an MRI in a proton therapy system faces several challenges due to the complex mechanical and electro-magnetic nature of the systems. This presentation will give an overview of the challenges, together with simulations and experiments that are ongoing to test the feasibility of the integration.

Magnetic Polymeric Microparticles
by Prof Sonia Contera of Oxford University

Magnetic polymeric microparticles with enhanced rotation and torque properties

Improved Contrast Agents for MRI Imaging
by Dr Cristina Giordano of Queen Mary University of London

Sol gel-based synthesis of magnetic carbides and nitrides as improved contrast agents for MRI imaging

Magneto-Liposomes as Theranostic Agents
by Dr Nina Kostevsek of Josef Stefan Institute

Up to now, only few iron oxide nanoparticles (IO NPs) were clinically approved for MRI imaging. However, the majority of them have been withdrawn from the market either due to safety concerns or lack of profits. Therefore, there is a need for novel IO NPs-based imaging agents with high safety margin and superior MRI properties. Here we propose use of liposomal formulation for the preparation of efficient IO-based T2 contrast agents. In this talk, a systematic study on the influence of different phospholipids on the relaxivity r2 values of magneto-liposomes containing magnetic NPs in the bilayer will be shown and the explanation for the correlation between the bilayer fluidity, the NPs encapsulation efficiency (EE) and relaxivity r2 will be given. The efficacy of as-developed liposomes will be demonstrated with in vitro experiments as well.

Synthesis of MRI and MPI Contrast Agents
by Professor Nguyễn Thanh of University College London

In this presentation, I will present the results from our group on synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles for MRI imaging in neural stem cells, pancreatic islets, liver and kidneys and their biodistribution.

Uses and Limitations / Opportunities of MRI
by Prof Richard Bowtell of Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, Nottingham University


Programme

TimeSession TitleSession Host
08:30Registration Setup; Exhibitor Setup; Poster Setup
09:00Registration Opens; Coffee; Poster Session
09:45Welcome and IntroductionDr Ellie Castle
10:00Uses and Limitations / Opportunities of MRIProf Richard Bowtell
10:30Overview of MRI TechnologyDr Mike Mallett
11:00Coffee
11:30The Knowledge Transfer Network and InnovateUK Funding OpportunitiesMs Ali Anjomshoaa
12:00Cryogen-Free Pre-Clinical MRI Magnets/SystemsDr Owen Taylor
12:30Lunch, Posters & Networking
13:20Introduction to the Afternoon Session
13:30Proton Therapy MRIDr Erik Van Der Kraaij
14:00Magnetic Polymeric MicroparticlesProf Sonia Contera
14:30Coffee
15:00Improved Contrast Agents for MRI ImagingDr Cristina Giordano
15:30Magneto-Liposomes as Theranostic AgentsDr Nina Kostevsek
16:00Synthesis of MRI and MPI Contrast AgentsProf Nguyễn Thanh
16:30Closing Remarks

Registration

Type Standard Fee Group Discount
(3+ delegates)
Early Discount
(Register before 24/12/2018)
Member £115.00 10%N/A
Non-Member £235.00 10%N/A
Student / Retired Member £45.00 10%N/A
Student / Retired Non-Member £75.00 10%N/A
Exhibiting Member (+Delegate Fees) £95.00 10%N/A
Exhibiting Non-Member (+ Delegate Fees) £145.00 10%N/A
Sponsorship opportunities are available - please contact astewart@ukmagsoc.org to discuss the options 10%N/A
Group discounts for 5+ delegates are available; please contact astewart@ukmagsoc.org for more details 10%N/A
Register to attend this event