Abstract
Some materials are evaluated for a rat's head positioner. Due to usage environment, selection criteria of the material are MRI compatible and a resistance property of chemical sterilization. Five resins are selected based on the selection criteria of the material. An experiment to reveal a difference of MRI is carried out with using the selected five resins. A copper sulfate phantom and a solenoidal coil are used for the experiment and then the TX-gain value and SNR (Signal to noise ratio) of the obtained images are measured and compared, respectively. TX-gain value is a RF (Radio Frequency) value for controlling the orientation of the hydrogen atom. There is a slight difference regarding both TX-gain value and SNR. Due to this result, the material can be decided by these machinability and cost. A shape of the rat's head positioner is also discussed based on DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) data of a rat's head taken by CT (Computed tomography). A rat's head shape model is created with using signal strength of the DICOM data. The created rat's head shape is converted to stl data format. A new shape of the head positioner is designed on CAD (Computer Aided Design) based the stl data of the rat's head. A feasibility of the rat's head positioner is introduced by the designed shape.
