Quincy Huynh

EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley

Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2018-42

May 10, 2018

http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2018/EECS-2018-42.pdf

Diagnostically relevant medical imaging systems require high signal to noise ratio (SNR) for high fidelity. Tracer modalities, such as Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), must have high SNR for excellent detection sensitivity. Stem cell scientists and physicians would prefer to see even a single stem cell inside the body, but all conventional whole-body imaging methods today are limited to 10,000-cell sensitivity. Recent publications in Professor Steven Conolly’s lab demonstrated 200-cell sensitivity with MPI, and that was performed without ultra-low noise preamps. In this report, I will present techniques to design an ultra low noise wideband preamplifier for MPI applications, specifically for the arbitrary waveform relaxometer (AWR) used in the Professor Conolly’s Berkeley Imaging Systems Laboratory (BISL). The AWR is used to characterize magnetic particles and optimize MPI drive waveforms for invitro biosensing and in-vivo imaging with MPI. Wideband low noise design requires many considerations, e.g. bandwidth, averaging, and input stage topologies. For each technique presented, I will discuss advantages and disadvantages, thus emphasizing the end goal of designing a wideband preamplifier with the ultimate goal of reaching a possible 1-5 cell sensitivity physical limit for MPI.

Advisors: Steven Conolly

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BibTeX citation:

@mastersthesis{Huynh:EECS-2018-42,
    Author= {Huynh, Quincy},
    Title= {Ultra Low Noise Preamplifier Design for Magnetic Particle Imaging},
    School= {EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley},
    Year= {2018},
    Month= {May},
    Url= {http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2018/EECS-2018-42.html},
    Number= {UCB/EECS-2018-42},
    Abstract= {Diagnostically relevant medical imaging systems require high signal to noise ratio (SNR) for
high fidelity. Tracer modalities, such as Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI), must have high
SNR for excellent detection sensitivity. Stem cell scientists and physicians would prefer to
see even a single stem cell inside the body, but all conventional whole-body imaging methods
today are limited to 10,000-cell sensitivity. Recent publications in Professor Steven Conolly’s
lab demonstrated 200-cell sensitivity with MPI, and that was performed without ultra-low
noise preamps. In this report, I will present techniques to design an ultra low noise wideband
preamplifier for MPI applications, specifically for the arbitrary waveform relaxometer
(AWR) used in the Professor Conolly’s Berkeley Imaging Systems Laboratory (BISL). The
AWR is used to characterize magnetic particles and optimize MPI drive waveforms for invitro
biosensing and in-vivo imaging with MPI. Wideband low noise design requires many
considerations, e.g. bandwidth, averaging, and input stage topologies. For each technique
presented, I will discuss advantages and disadvantages, thus emphasizing the end goal of
designing a wideband preamplifier with the ultimate goal of reaching a possible 1-5 cell
sensitivity physical limit for MPI.},
}

EndNote citation:

%0 Thesis
%A Huynh, Quincy 
%T Ultra Low Noise Preamplifier Design for Magnetic Particle Imaging
%I EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley
%D 2018
%8 May 10
%@ UCB/EECS-2018-42
%U http://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2018/EECS-2018-42.html
%F Huynh:EECS-2018-42