The project ran from 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2019; it involved partners from 9 sites across Europe (7 academic sites and 2 SMEs), led by The University of Aberdeen.
A link to the project's entry in the EC's CORDIS database can be found here .
- Overview
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The objective of the IDentIFY project is to bring FFC-MRI to the stage where it can be used as a routine tool for clinical diagnosis. This will require the development of new magnet technology, novel techniques for characterising environmental magnetic fields and a theoretical framework to help describe and understand the new biomarkers that FFC-MRI gives access to.
This animation explains the concept behind FFC-MRI:
IDentIFY
Funding Programme: Horizon 2020: Societal Challenges - health, demographic change and well-being
Duration: January 2016 - December 2019
Budget: €6,597,377Project Objectives
The main objectives of the IDentIFY project are to:
- Build upon and improve upon existing FFC technology to extend its range of clinical applications
- Develop the theory of NMR relaxation in tissue at ultra-low fields in order to build models and identify new disease biomarkers
- Design new image acquisition techniques that exploit the unique diagnostic information offered by FFC-MRI
- Test FFC-MRI methods on tissue samples from surgery and tissue samples
- Demonstrate proof-of-principal scans on patients
- Project Partners
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- University of Aberdeen , UK (UNIABDN) - Coordinating partner
- INSERM (Grenoble), FR
- CEA (Grenoble), FR
- CNRS (Grenoble), FR
- University of Torino , IT (UNITO)
- University Warmia & Mazury , PO (UWM)
- Technical University of Ilmenau , DE (TUIL)
- STELAR S.r.l., IT (STELAR)
- Oy International Electric Company , FI (OYIECO)
- G2Elab
- Publicity
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Newspaper/Magazine/Online Articles/Television/Radio
2019 - CORDIS EU research results (Online) - 17/6/19
- Evening Express (Online) - 4/5/19
- Press and Journal (Online) - 4/5/19
- BBC News (Online) - 3/5/19
- Evening Express - 19/1/19
2018 - Press and Journal - Innovation: University at the heart of groundbreaking advances - 6/7/18
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Evening Express - 5/7/18
- NHS 70: It was "just another day" for pioneering MRI scanner team as they made a breakthrough in history of medical science (online)
- Evening_Express_NHS-70 (PDF)
- EU highlighting the IDentIFY project as a success story - 28/6/18
2017 2017
- The Scotsman (online) - IDentIFY project listed as one of five most innovative life sciences projects happening in Scotland right now. PDF of the article is here . - 1/12/17
- STV news item (video file © STV 2017) - Item about FFC-MRI and the first patient scans, including an interview with a patient; broadcast on the STV evening news. - 21/11/17
- BBC Radio Scotland (audio file © BBC 2017) - Interview with Prof David Lurie about FFC-MRI on Good Morning Scotland news programme - 21/11/17
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Original 106 (audio file © Original 106 2017) - Radio news item on FFC MRI including interview with a patient - 21/11/17
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BBC News (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen - online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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STV News (online) - Patients in Scotland first to use new powerful scanner - 21/11/17
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Twitter Feed - Nicola Sturgeon (First Minister of Scotland) - New scanner like 100 MRIs in one - 21/11/17
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The Scotsman (online) - New fast field cycling scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" - (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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The Times (online) - Scanner said to be like 100MRIs in one - 21/11/17
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Evening Express (online) - New fast-field cycling scanner like 100 MRIs in one (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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Evening Express (newspaper) - City scientists have just what the doctor ordered with MRI scan breakthrough - 21/11/17
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Press & Journal (newspaper) - New hi-tech scanner wins patient's praise - 21/11/17
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Citizen Aberdeen - New scanner like 100 MRIs in one - 22/11/17
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Engineering and Technology (online) - First patients put through new-generation MRI scanner - 21/11/17
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Evening Telegraph (online) - New fast field cycling scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" - (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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Health Imaging (online) - Scanner developed in Scotland is "like 100 MRIs in one - 21/11/17
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Global News Empire (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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Esportsemoney.com (online) - First patients put through new-generation MRI scanner (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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Planet Radio (online) - University of Aberdeen unveils "world first" Fast Field MRI scanner - 21/11/17
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Daily Motion (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen- (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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The UK Bulletin (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen (online content no longer available) - 21/11/17
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Fashion City (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen - 21/11/17
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UWS Newsroom (online) - Prototype MRI scanner developed in Aberdeen - 21/11/17
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Kap Test Prep (online) - First patients scanned using ultra-powerful MRI scanner (no longer available online) - 21/11/17
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Original Radio (online) - First patients scanned by new Aberdeen University MRI which is like "100 in one" - (no longer available online) - 21/11/17
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E4Y (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen (no longer available online) - 21/11/17
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NEWSGRA (online) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" - (no longer available online) - 21/11/17
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ne2y news (online) - New scanner like 100 MRIs in a single developed in Aberdeen (no longer available online) - 21/11/17
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Phyla Philly (Philadelphia link to BBC story ) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" (no longer available online) - 21/11/17
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NEWSIFI (link to BBC story) - New scanner "like 100 MRIs in one" developed in Aberdeen (no longer availabel online) - 21/11/17
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50 Wire (United States link to The Times story) - Scanner said to be like 100 MRIs in one - 21/11/17
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Le Quotidien Du Medicin - Imagerie médicale en cancérologie L'IRM à champs cyclés, une nouvelle technologie en cours de < > - 13/03/17
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Tam Tam News - A Mede l'eccellenza tecnologica - 08/01/17
2016 - Science Magazine - Un nouveau type d'IRM plus performant - 01/11/16
- L'USINE NOUVELLE - Une IRM moins couteûse et plus précise - 14/07/16
- Industrie Mag.com - Ameliorer le diagnostic médical par IRM - 11/07/16
- Journal International de Médecine - Beintot une IRM moins chere et plus performante? - 09/07/16
- News Press Agency - Améliorer le diagnostic médical par IRM et réduire le coût des soins - 08/07/16
- Techno-Science.net - Améliorer le diagnostic médical par IRM et réduire le coût des soins - 07/07/16
- Aberdeen Press and Journal - New MRI scanners to give better results - 22/01/16
- Aberdeen Evening Express - £5 million grant to help create new MRI scanners - 21/01/16
- The National - £5M boost for scanners - 22/01/16
- Meetings and Events
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IDentIFY and Aberdeen Bio-Medical Imaging Centre Symposium
Events hosted and attended by the IDentIFY partners.
2019
November - Italian Association of Medical Physics Invited Lecture Professor David Lurie gave an invited lecture at the meeting of the Italian Association of Medical Physics (AIFM).
The meeting was hed in Matera, Italy from 7-8th November 2019 and titled "The new challenges of medical physics: a bridge between innovation and medicine."
The conference was held to celebrate the International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP) on 7th November 2019.October - IDentIFY and ABIC Symposium 22nd October, 2019
IDentIFY Project and Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre(ABIC) Symposium, Suttie Centre, Aberdeen.
Celebtrating 10 years of ABIC and the successful conclusion of the IDentIFY project.
October - Aberdeen Final Face-to-Face Meeting 21st October 2019
The Meeting Was Hosted by The University of Aberdeen.
ESMRMB Conference 2019 The Aberden and Torino Partners Participated at ESMRMB 2019 in Rotterdam.
June - IPEM John Mallard Lecture - Liverpool 11th June 2019
Keynote Lecture
- Professor David Lurie, Institute of Phyiscs and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
- John Mallard Lecture delivered at the UK,Imaging and Oncology Congress (UKIO) June 2019
IPEM Tweet 11th June 2019 - https://twitter.com/ipemnews/status/
1138722846694367237May - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care visits FFC-MRI scanner On 30th May 2019 Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, visited the University of Aberdeen to see first-hand the development of the next generation of MRI scanners.
Mr Hancock visited the Medical Physics Department where the first full body scanner was designed and built in the 1980s.
Professor David Lurie gave Mr Hancock an overview of the development of the next step in MRI technology, known as Fast Field Cycling MRI.Current MRI scanners use a large magnet along with pulses of radiowaves to create detailed pictures of a patient's anatomy. Whilst current MRI machines operate on a single strength of magnetic field, Fast Field Cycling MRI scanners are able to extract much more information by switching the strength of the magnetic field during the scanning procedure. The technology has been under development for the last ten years.
The Aberdeen team behind FFC-MRI is leading a nine-strong consortium of research groups from six different countries across Europe, in a project called IDentIFY which received a €6.6 million Horizon 2020 research grant from the European Union to develop the imaging technology and bring it closer to widespread use in hospitals.
March - Pavia Face-to-Face Meeting 27th-28th March 2019 The Meeting was Hosted by STELAR in Pavia, Italy
March - European Research Scottish Parliament Event 7th March 2019 - Holyrood, Edinburgh
The IdentIFY Team and Dr Mary Joan Macleod met with the Minister for Europe at a special Scottish Parliament event to celebrate European research within Scotland.
Ben Macpherson, Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development, addressing the group, said: “Looking at the project about the future MRI development and technology, to see the collaboration of the list of countries involved, let alone the list of people, was quite remarkable and tells a story that I know all the stalls will tell as well and the whole spirit of this celebration embodies.
“This event highlights the importance of research and inclusivity of research to the public and at a time where we want to be encouraging as much innovation and participation in academia and in the economy more widely, for an event to do that on such a wide scale is definitely worth celebrating again as we are this evening."
Senior Vice-Principal of the University of Aberdeen, Professor Karl Leydecker, said: “This event is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and see first-hand the research that the European Commission funds in Scotland as well as to mark the success of Explorathon.
“The range of innovative, exciting and important projects on display tonight is testament to the importance of European-funded research and the collaboration it brings.
Explorathon takes that research and finds new ways to make it accessible and relevant to people in public places with high levels of footfall. Only through the strong links between our core universities and the dedication of all staff involved is this possible.
2018
October - Helsinki Face to Face Meeting The Meeting was Hosted by the International Elecric Company in Helsinki, Finland on 8th/9th October 2018.
July - Relaxometer Installation in Grenoble March - Aberdeen Face to Face Meeting and Mid-Term Workshop This meeting was hosted by the University of Aberdeen at the Suttie Centre.
March - Mid-Term Symposium 16 March 2018 - The Suttie Centre, Foresterhill, Aberdeen
Fast Field-Cycling MRI - A New Imaging Modality
- Professor David Lurie - Overview of FFC-MRI and the IDentIFY Horizon 2020 project
- Dr Lionel Broche - FFC-MRI: Technical challenges and solutions
- Professor Silvio Aime - FFC-MRI: What does the new information mean?
- Professor Xavier Golay - The Horizon 2020 GLINT Project: Promises and pitfalls in the translation of GlucoCEST into clinical practice: Early results from the GLINT Consortium
- Professor Martin Plenio - The H2020 HyperDiamond Project: Diamond quantum technologies for Hyperpolarised MRI
- Professor Danuta Kruk - The H2020 CONQUER project: Quadrupole enhanced relaxation: A concept for novel magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents
- Professor Francois Berger - FFC-MRI: Is this the technology breakthrough that patients and neuro-oncologists have been waiting for?
2017
June - Mikolajki Face to Face Meeting Face to face meeting of the IDentIFY consortium at Mikolajki, Poland on 7-8/6/17
This meeting was hosted by The University of Warmia & Mazury.
January - Torino Face to Face Meeting Face to face meeting of the IDentIFY consortium at the University of Torino 23-24/1/17
The event was hosted at Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences.
image descriptions from left to right
- Professor Silvio Aime presenting an update on Work Package 8
- Dr Lionel Broche presenting an update on Work Package 7
- Young Researchers poster presentations and discussion
2016
September - Grenoble Face to face Meeting The meeting took place at the Minatec site in Grenoble and was hosted by Inserm, CEA tech, G2ELab and CNRS.
January - Aberdeen Start up Meeting The event was hosted at the Health Sciences Building at Foresterhill in Aberdeen on 18th and 19th January 2016.
Contact us
University of Aberdeen Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD United Kingdom