Running a Study at CUBRIC

If you plan to perform a study using MR at CUBRIC, you need to be aware of the risks associated with working in the MR lab.  MR scanning is safe - but only if the people working in the MR area are aware of the hazards of working in high magnetic fields.

To demonstrate that you have understand these issues, there is a short on-line test on the main topics of MR safety.  On passing the MR safety test you will be granted "Probationary Approved User" status (or 'Level 1'), and will be allowed swipe card access to the MR area.

Before taking the test you need to:

• Read the  CUBRIC MRI Rules and Procedures .
• Attend one of the MR safety lectures.

Both the safety lectures and the online test are organised by Peter Hobden (hobdenp AT cf.ac.uk)

Booking the 3T MR System

Once the required approval has been granted for a project (see Access to CUBRIC), then researchers can book time on the MR scanner via the MR booking calendar (https://studies.cubric.cf.ac.uk ).

Operator Cover

•    If you need someone to operate the scanner, then bookings should only be made for your project during the hours where there is MR cover available - the "MRI Operators" calendar shows who is operating the scanner during each session.
•    Studies requiring operator cover outside the designated hours may be able to arrange this with the operators directly.
•    Bookings for more than 4 weeks in advance are considered provisional, to allow the operators to plan leave.

Advance booking limit

•    2 months for all funded studies (but see restrictions for PhD student scanning, below).

Regular bookings

•    Projects that require a regular timeslot each week (e.g. clinical populations, or large cohorts) can request this from the Directors/MR Lab Manager.
•    The timing of the regular slot will be accommodated as far as practical, subject to the limitations of radiographer provision.
•    Regular bookings may have to be changed in future to accommodate changes in radiographer provision or scanner demand.
•    Cancellations follow the same rules as for any other projects.
•    The following sessions are for specific projects, and are bookable via separate calendars on the booking system:

• Clinical Session (Thursday PM):  For projects scanning clinical populations.
• PhD Session (Monday AM):  Available for PhD student projects (see below).
• TMS-MRI (Tuesday AM): For projects associated with TMS-MRI grants. 

PhD Student Scanning

PhD students who do not have external funding for their scan fees have additional restrictions on scanner bookings:

• Students can book sessions during the PhD session (Monday 1030-1330).  This is bookable via the see the "PhD Session" calendar.
• Students can book scanner time outside 'peak' hours (Mon-Fri 9-6pm),  i.e., early mornings, evenings, and weekends are available.
• Students cannot book the MR scanner during 'peak' hours unless the required session is within the next 7 days (e.g. a cancellation).

Cancellations.  

Cancelled bookings are chargeable.  For any project, the first ‘chargeable’ cancellation will be overlooked, but subsequent cancellations will be charged at the following rate:

• Bookings cancelled less than 7 days before the scan will be charged at 50% of the scan fee (excepting bookings made less than 7 days before the scan).
• Bookings cancelled less than 24 hours before the scan will be charged at 100% of the scan fee (excepting bookings made less than 24 hours before the scan)

The researcher should inform the operator and the CUBRIC users group (CUBRIC AT jiscmail.ac.uk) that the slot has been vacated.

The following are also chargeable cancellations:

• Researcher failing to arrive, or arriving late for the scanning session.
• Participants not passing MR screening (contra-indications should be checked prior to the participant arriving for a scan).
• Participants not providing full UK GP details, including the address of the practice.
• Participants failing to meet any criteria for the experiment (e.g. failing a performance limit for a task).

Covered slots that are unbooked 24 hours beforehand will revert to ‘No Cover’.  It may be possible to provide operator cover for this slot, but the operator should be contacted directly to organise this.

Scan Timing

It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure that the experiment can be completed within the booked scanner time.  Over-running can result in the experiment being cut short.

The researcher should ensure that the participant is ready to enter the MR scanner at least 5 minutes before the start of the exam. This includes;

• Initial and second screening forms have been completed.
• The participant has removed all metal from their pockets, clothes, hair etc.
• Consent form has been completed.
• The experiment and MR procedure has been fully discussed with the participant.

Other Equipment

If your study requires additional equipment – e.g. Physiological monitoring, MedRad, resus trolley, MR compatible EEG - please ensure that this equipment is booked as well.  This equipment is often used in other parts of the building, so a booking of the MR scanner does not imply these components are included.

Becoming an MR Operator

We encourage regular users of MR in CUBRIC to become approved operators of the MR scanner.  This not only gives users a better understanding of the way that MR data are acquired, but also allows users greater flexibility in booking scanner time, once they have completed the approval process.

Should I become an MR operator?

It will typically take approximately 20 hours of  training/experience to become an MR operator, but this will vary according to the individual.  Thus, it is not an efficient use of time to train all researchers to operate the scanner.  Whether it is worthwhile for a researcher to train to become an MR operator depends on a number of factors, such as prior experience and the number of hours of scanning you are expecting to perform.  However, PhD students (who do not have separate funding for their studies) will be required to learn to operate the scanner during their time at CUBRIC.
In general, training will take place during the researcher's first study, so it is not nescesary to become an MR operator prior to this.  
Applications for MR operator training should be made to John Evans ( evansj31 AT cf.ac.uk ), using the  MR Operator Training Application Form. Applications for students should be sent by their PhD supervisor.

Requirements

In order to become an MR operator (or 'Approved Users' in the terminology of the CUBRIC Rules and Procedures), the researcher must demonstrate that they can;
•   competently perform the safety screening of participants.
•   safely place participant in the scanner.
•   communicate the important aspects of the scan to the participant both before and during the scan.
•   test the important safety equipment, prior to scanning (e.g. squeeze ball).
•   recognise common scanner faults.
•   correctly prescribe and inspect the scans they perform
•   recognise common artefacts
•   understand the causes of alarms in MR suite
•   can safely remove an unconscious participant from the magnet room.

The minimum requirement for becoming an approved operator is;
1) Attend the MR safety lecture (Contact Peter Hobden, email: hobdenp AT cf.ac.uk )
2) Complete the MR safety test. (Contact Peter Hobden, email: hobdenp AT cf.ac.uk )
3) Observe two sessions run by an MR trainer (one of the experienced MR operators, see list below).  Contact the trainer directly to arrange this.
4) Operate the scanner for (at least) eight sessions, under the supervision of an MR trainer.
5) Complete final approval session with John Evans ( evansj31 AT cf.ac.uk )
All of these should be logged in the MR Operator Training Record

MR Trainers

John Evans
Peter Hobden
Derek Jones
Krish Singh
Martin Stuart
Richard Wise