Researchers at Boston University are using metamaterials, which are designed to manipulate electromagnetic waves and radio frequencies, to make MR less expensive and more accessible.

Led by Xin Zhang, a professor at BU's College of Engineering, the team is exploring how these precisely engineered structures — made from everyday materials like copper, plastic, and fabric — can improve the speed, cost, and accuracy of imaging exams.

Zhang’s team has created devices like resonators that enhance magnetic fields and wearable tools that reduce background noise. These innovations could make scans faster and cheaper, offering benefits to low-resource and remote areas where access to MR is limited due to the high cost and bulk of current technology.
In recent studies, the team has developed computationally designed wearable metamaterials that conform to body parts such as knees, ankles, and spines; improving image quality and reducing scan times. The materials used in these devices are inexpensive and flexible, with some designs costing as little as $50 to produce.

Zhang’s research, published in several journals including Advanced Science and Science Advances, demonstrates how these technologies could be integrated into clinical MR applications, potentially expanding access to MR worldwide.

The first paper was supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and BU’s Rajen Kilachand Fund for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering; the second and third papers were supported by the Kilachand Fund.

MRI Homepage