The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds early stage technology commercialization and research. This is a collaborative NIH SBIR Phase II project between Calimetrix, LLC, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The overall goal of this project is to refine and evaluate advanced quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantoms that mimic the simultaneous presence of fat, iron and fibrosis. Fat, iron and fibrosis are three principal histological coexisting features of many important disease states. Phantoms are highly controlled test objects that accurately reflect tissue characteristics in both normal and pathological tissues. Emerging quantitative MRI methods introduced in the past ~5 years are increasingly used for noninvasive diagnosis, staging and treatment monitoring in both clinical care and clinically /trials. However, the lack of viable MRI phantoms that mimic the combination of fat, iron and fibrosis experienced in disease states is a major barrier to the development of new quantitative MRI biomarkers, as well as effective quality assurance in clinical environments. Such phantoms are also needed for quality assurance and qualification of MRI scanners for use in multicenter drug development trials.