Department of Radiology - Medical Physics

Excerpt of the MRDAC Usage and Operating Concept (As deposited at the DFG, Referenznummer RI_00444)

MRDAC is open to all research groups of the university and also to external groups. The working group is located in the Department of
Radiology, Medical Physics. MRDAC supports potential users in planning projects, developing and setting up measuring methods and are
responsible for the conduction of the MR experiments.

Facilities

• MR Systems – dedicated exclusively to clinical studies, research and development:
  • Siemens PRISMA 3T MR scanner,
  • Siemens Trio 3T MR scanner, experimental system, equipped with Tim (Total imaging matrix) technology,
  • Siemens 7T Research MR scanner (Joint facility at DKFZ/Heidelberg).


• MR Systems – dedicated primarily to research and development:
  • Siemens Espree 1.5T MR scanner. Open bore MRI System.
     
• MR Systems – outside of clinical operating hours available to research and development:
  • Siemens Vida 3 T MR scanner equipped,
  • Siemens Avanto fit 1.5T MR scanner equipped with Tim (Total imaging matrix) technology,
  • Siemens Aera 1.5T MR scanner,
  • ESAOTE O-Scan 0.31T MR extremites scanner.

• CT Systems – outside of clinical operating hours available to research and development:Siemens
  • Somatom Definition Edge,
  • Siemens Somatom Definition Force,
  • Siemens Somatom Definition Flash.
• Pre clinical imaging
  • Please check with the AMIR core facility.

Access to the research systems is according to the following priority:

1. DFG and other publicly funded affairs (BMBF, …).
2. Other assessed third-party funded projects.
3. Works financed elsewhere (Industrial cooperation, etc.).
4. Pilot projects with perspective on transfer to external funding.

The following usage models of the devices are possible:

• “Application mode”: Pure measuring time usage, whereby the measurements are performed by – proven qualified – personnel of the user.
• “Service operation”: measurements by MRDAC personnel.

Costs

The following usage cost table is based on 250 working days with 8 hours each.

Explanation:
(1) Costs for DFG, BMBF or similar funded projects with MRDAC as a main or co-applicant. The costs are estimated on those directly related to the conduction of the experiment. Other project-related expenses (if eligible) are directly requested in the application.
(2) The usage fee for non-publicly funded projects corresponds to the real costs.
(3) For industrial projects, a full-cost accounting applies.
(4) If not covered otherwise, for clinical studies within translational research a lump-sum of 150 €/h is added to cover other relevant MRDAC tasks (Studynurses, QA, reading …).

Contact persons
Scientific contact persons are the head of MRDAC.

Scanner time inquires for approved projects should be adressed to the MRDAC Studyteam Studienteam.MR@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Use of time allocation/reservation system
Measurement time is to be booked via the clinic-internal booking system MEDOC. Groups assigned MR device times via the MR Distribution Plan have the prerogative of use in these times.
External users without access to the MEDOC booking system send booking inquiries to the MRDAC study team  Studienteam.MR@uniklinik-freiburg.de.

Condition for use
External users who want to use the MRI devices from MRDAC on their own responsibility need the Freiburg MR device driver’s license. It contains a valid MR safety briefing, a device briefing on the device to be operated as well as a check of the operating competence. Details on obtaining the MR driving license as well as regulations on MR safety can be found on the webpage of the Medical Physics department (‘MR-Sicherheit’). Irrespective of this, use of the MR devices is only possible with the consent of the operator.

Rules for Publications and Acknowledgments
Users agree to include MRDAC in publications in the acknowledgments. Example: “We thank the Core Facility ‘Magnetic Resonance Development and Application Center Freiburg (MRDAC)’, Department of Radiology – University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, for support in acquisition (ia and analysis) of the data.” A claim to co-authorship for publications only exists if the scientific contribution to the research project by MRDAC employees justifies this. A copy of the publications based on research carried out in the CFs should also be sent to the involved CF.

The original and complete ‘MRDAC Betriebs- und Nutzerkonzept’ will be found here (German).