A fluid-sensitive MRI protocol for the small joints of the hand using a portable 46 mT scanner

Motivation: Early detection of subclinical joint inflammation, crucial for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk assessment, often requires costly, patient-unfriendly high-field MRI. Low-field, portable MRI offers an accessible alternative for primary care. Goal(s): To develop a non-invasive fluid-sensitive MRI protocol to identify joint tissue inflammation using a portable 46-mT scanner. Approach: We overlayed images acquired with T1-weighted scans, that clearly depict the main anatomical structures, with fat-suppressed T2-weighted scan, to achieve fluid contrast in the hand. Results: Our protocol effectively visualizes anatomical details and fluid contrast, identifying signs of inflammation and incidental conditions in volunteers, showing promise for accessible, non-invasive RA screening in various healthcare settings. Impact: In this study, we developed a fluid-sensitive MRI protocol for a portable 46 mT system. This method allows to capture both anatomical structures and fluid details, while ensuring comfortable scanning, showing potential for affordable, accessible joint inflammation detection.