Albuquerque, New Mexico Patent of the Year – 2024/2025
UNM Rainforest Innovations has been awarded the 2024/2025 Patent of the Year for a breakthrough in neuroimaging. Their invention, detailed in U.S. Patent No. 11857306, titled ‘Concurrent MRSI and fMRI’, allows researchers to capture brain function and chemical composition at the same time, improving diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions.
This patented system combines magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a single, synchronized scan. It delivers detailed metabolic and functional data in real time, without requiring separate procedures.
The ability to collect both data types concurrently offers faster insights into brain activity, especially in cases involving stroke, brain injury, or neurodegenerative disease. It also reduces scan time, patient movement, and cost, making it more efficient for both clinicians and researchers.
By integrating two powerful imaging techniques into one seamless process, this innovation marks a leap forward in precision medicine. It opens new possibilities for personalized care, where brain chemistry and function are mapped in tandem to guide more accurate interventions.
With this patent, UNM Rainforest Innovations advances not just medical imaging but also our understanding of how the brain works under stress, disease, or therapy. The concurrent MRSI and fMRI system is poised to enhance both clinical practice and neuroscience research worldwide.