MR-Link receives development grant from NIH
A coin-sized gadget that would allow for simultaneous MR imaging has received a $228,325 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The MR-Link, developed by Purdue researchers, has been in testing since February and fits into existing MRI machines to synchronize data and allow clinicians to perform multiple imaging exams at once.
“This grant is validation for us that our idea is on the right track and there is a need for these kind of technologies that may help researchers to understand human physiology more accurately,” MR-Link co-founder Ranajay Mandal said in a release.
The STTR program itself is highly competitive, officials said—while more than 1,000 applications were filed this year, just 169 of the projects received funding. MR-Link was one of 32 applicants in Indiana but the only chosen for a grant.
“We will use this funding to further develop our device and software into a user-friendly system, so that MR-Link can begin to distribute its beta testing units to MRI researchers,” co-founder Nishant Babaria said. “We hope to also use the money to enrich our research team with new professionals to help us package the software and hardware.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.