Projects

Pavol Szomolányi

Project selection:

National projects

DUOFLUOR – Dual‑tuned ¹H/¹⁹F RF coil for preclinical MRI
Duálne ladená ¹H/¹⁹F RF cievka pre predklinické MRI
Program: SRDA
Duration: 1.9.2026 – 31.8.2030
Project leader: Ing. Gogola Daniel, PhD.
Annotation: The project focuses on the design, optimization, and experimental verification of a dual‑tuned ¹H/¹⁹F radiofrequency (RF) coil intended for preclinical MRI. Combined ¹H/¹⁹F imaging represents a promising technology enabling simultaneousanatomical (¹H) and quantitative functional measurements (¹⁹F), particularly in studies involving the biodistribution offluorinated compounds, cell‑tracking applications, inflammatory processes, and functional lung imaging. The absence of endogenous ¹⁹F signal in biological tissues allows absolute quantification without background reconstruction, which increases the accuracy and interpretability of measurements. Despite its potential, only a limited number of solutions optimized for small‑animal imaging currently exist, and available systems often do not achieve the required sensitivity and B₁ homogeneity for fluorine MRI.The project includes the development of detailed FEM/FDTD models of various coil geometries, their optimization for bothresonance frequencies, and the subsequent construction of a physical prototype. The experimental phase will involveS‑parameter and Q‑factor measurements, B₁ field mapping, and testing of tuning stability. The functional performance ofthe coil will be evaluated using phantoms with defined fluorine content and, in the final stage, through preclinical measurements in small animals. The project also includes the development of a software tool that enables the calculationand optimization of RF coil parameters for different dimensions and frequencies.The outcome of the project will be an experimentally validated dual‑tuned ¹H/¹⁹F RF coil and a complete methodology forits design, applicable in preclinical research, pharmacological studies, and the development of fluorinated markers. Theproject will contribute to the advancement of preclinical MRI technologies in Slovakia and create a foundation for furtherinterdisciplinary applications in biomedical imaging.
AgeFlex – Development and standardization of MR-based methods for detecting and evaluating metabolic and structural adaptations of aging muscles to exercise.
Vývoj a štandardizácia MR metód založených na magnetickej rezonancii na detekciu a hodnotenie metabolických a štrukturálnych adaptácií starnúcich svalov na cvičenie.
Program: SRDA
Duration: 1.9.2025 – 31.8.2029
Project leader: Mgr. Klepochová Radka, PhD.
Annotation: Aging is associated with a loss of muscle mass and the functional capacity of skeletal muscles; however, regular exercise can slow down these processes. The focus of this project is on examining the metabolic, functional, and structural parameters in the lower limb muscles, which we can non-invasively and repeatedly measure using innovative magnetic resonance methods (MR). This allows us to compare the trajectories of aging in skeletal muscles of sedentary individuals and those who are physically active. One of the key parameters that define a muscle\’s ability to efficiently mobilize and use energy for muscle work is called metabolic flexibility. The aim of the project is to develop innovative MR methods to study metabolic flexibility and structural changes in skeletal muscles during aging, and relate them to whole-body metabolic flexibility, as well as the metabolic phenotype and structural and molecular changes in the skeletal muscles of older adults. As part of the project, we will standardize the measurement of dynamic changes in metabolites in muscle during exercise using proton (1H) MR spectroscopy, create standard procedures for quality control of acquired MR spectroscopy data, and a key aspect of the project will also be the development of an automated segmentation method based on a convolutional neural network, which will enable more efficient and reliable evaluation of MR images of skeletal muscles. These innovative methods will be validated using data from ongoing longitudinal studies at the Biomedical Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and their results will be directly compared with parallel changes in metabolic health, functional capacity, histological structure, and molecular mediators of metabolic flexibility in skeletal muscles. The results may not only improve our understanding of the processes that define metabolic flexibility during aging but may also offer relevant strategies to support metabolically healthy aging.
MRCartilage – Automatic data evaluation tool from the longitudinal quantitative MRI studies of articular cartilage
Automatický softvérový nástroj na výhodnocovanie kvantitatívnych MRI štúdií artikulárných chrupaviek v čase
Program: SRDA
Duration: 1.7.2022 – 30.6.2026
Project leader: Ing. Dr. Szomolányi Pavol, (PhD.)
Annotation: The aim of the project is to design a comprehensive tool for automatic evaluation of human articular cartilage data from quantitative MRI. Data obtained from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database, and measured at Institute of Measurement Science and Medical University of Vienna will be segmented using an automated segmentation tool based on convolutional neural networks. The annotated data will then be registered on quantitative MRI data that will be available from the database (T2 and T1rho mapping, gagCEST, sodium MR) using automated or semiautomated tools developed within this project. The data obtained will be evaluated at multiple time points according to MR measurements that will be available. In addition to quantitative MR data, this will include volumetric data, cartilage thickness, and texture analysis of quantitative maps. Patient evaluation will be based on risk factor groups (transverse ligament rupture, meniscus rupture and menisectomy). The expected number of patients is approximately 4000 divided into individual groups in the ratio 40/30/30. The output of the project will be a compiled version of an automatic cartilage evaluation tool that will be available in a public source (such as website of Institute of Measurement).