Our goal is to design, test and verify an electromagnetic actuator for brain magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). We proposed a grappler-shaped design that can transmit stable vibrations into the brain. To validate its performance, simulations were carried out to ensure the electromagnetic field generated by the actuator did not interfere with the B0 field. The actuation vibration spectrum was analyzed to verify the actuation accuracy. Phantom and volunteer experiments were carried out to evaluate the performance of the actuator. Simulation of the magnetic field showed that the proposed actuator has a fringe field of less than 3 G in the imaging region. The phantom experiments showed that the proposed actuator did not interfere with the routine imaging sequences. The measured vibration spectra demonstrated that the frequency offset was about one third that of a pneumatic device and the transmission efficiency was three times higher. The shear moduli estimated from brain MRE were consistent with those from the literature. The actuation frequency of the proposed actuator has less frequency offset and off-center frequency components compared with the pneumatic counterpart. The whole actuator weighted only 980 g. The actuator can carry out multifrequency MRE on the brain with high accuracy. It is easy to use, comfortable for the patient and portable.
Keywords: actuators; biomechanics; electromagnetics; magnetic resonance elastography.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.