Magnetic resonance angiographic demonstration of carotid-cavernous fistula using elliptical centric time resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (EC-TRICKS)

Magnetic resonance angiographic evaluation of the intracranial vasculature has been predominantly carried out using conventional angiographic techniques such as time of flight and phase contrast sequences. These techniques have good spatial resolution but lack temporal resolution. Newer faster angiographic techniques have been developed to circumvent this limitation. Elliptical centric time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (EC-TRICKS) is one such technique which has combined the use of elliptical centric ordering of the k-space with multiphase 3D digital subtraction MR angiogram (MRA) to achieve excellent temporal resolution of the arterial and venous circulations. Its applications have been mainly in the peripheral vasculature. We report the use of this technique in a case of a high-flow, direct carotid-cavernous fistula to demonstrate its potential in intracranial MR angiography.     

MRA与CTA腹盆腔血管数字化三维模型的构建及对胎盘植入诊治效果的对比研究

为探索通过磁共振血管成像(MRA)和三维CT血管造影(CTA)原始图像构建腹盆腔血管数字化三维模型并评估这两种方法在胎盘植入诊治中的应用效果,选取2018年1月~2019年1月在我院经临床综合诊断为胎盘植入的产妇40例为观察对象,按照随机数表法分为2组,对照组行CTA、观察组行MRA指导临床介入手术治疗。统计两组患者的腹盆腔血管三维模型血管清晰显示率及患者进行胎盘植入介入手术的X线辐射剂量、造影剂使用剂量等指标,并统计患者术后并发症的发生率。结果显示,两种成像方法均可较为清晰地显示一至三级动静脉血管,并可基本完整地重建显示其形态及走行。对骶前静脉的显示情况,CE-MRA成像方式明显优于CTA成像方式(P<0.01)。观察组术中介入时间、曝光时间、X线辐射量、造影剂剂量、造影剂速率均低于对照组(P<0.05),并发症发生率显著低于对照组(P<0.01)。此结果说明基于MRA的腹盆腔血管数字化三维模型可清晰显示一至四级动静脉血管,更适用于胎盘植入的诊断和介入治疗。     

利用近红外光激发的光声血管造影成像

利用近红外光结合对应波长的光吸收增强对照剂来实现在体小鼠脑皮层血管的光声成像.近红外光在生物组织上有较深的穿透能力;而作为光吸收增强剂的外源染料吲哚菁绿注射到血液系统后则增加了血管对光的选择性吸收,从而增强了血管光声信号的强度.实验在不破坏脑头皮和头盖骨的前提下,通过静脉注射吲哚菁绿,获得小鼠脑皮层血管的光声造影成像.光声重建的血管网络与小鼠脑部解剖照片相当符合.实验结果证明近红外光结合光吸收增强剂的光声血管造影技术对于开展光声脑功能成像,光声分子成像提供了潜在的可行性. 关键词： 光声成像 光吸收增强剂 血管造影 光声信号     

手持式眼底相机光学系统设计

提出一种新型眼底成像系统,结构更加简单、紧凑。系统的成像和调焦投影光路共用调焦镜,调焦投影光路完全嵌入到照明光路。调焦投影光路不再专设照明组件,避免了投影目标和调焦镜之间的机械联动结构。并且充分利用了网膜物镜系统的空间。利用LED光源窄带宽的优势,瞄准和拍照过程共用一个电荷耦合器件相机。采用新的光学结构,设计了一款视场30°、工作距离30mm的眼底相机光学系统,眼光焦度补偿范围-10m-1～+5m-1,物方各视场分辨率为45line/mm,畸变小于5%。     

Organ dose and scattering dose for CT coronary angiography and calcium scoring using automatic tube current modulation

Noninvasive coronary angiography and calcium scoring with the use of multi-detector computed tomography scanners are feasible for reliably detecting coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate organ dose and scattering dose for CT coronary angiography and calcium scoring using automatic tube current modulation. Organ doses of an anthropomorphic phantom were estimated using LiF:Mg,Cu,P thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips. The dose profiles inside and outside the scanning regions were measured. Effective doses for coronary angiography and calcium scoring without using automatic tube current modulation are respectively 12.72 ± 2.06 and 1.69 ± 0.30 mSv. Using automatic tube current modulation can reduce effective dose by 43% for coronary angiography, and 24–32% for calcium scoring. Scatter doses at the point of 10 cm away from the margin of scanning region decreased to 5–9% of in-plane doses. Using automatic tube current modulation can effectively reduce radiation doses inside the CT scanning region.     

Topographic Analysis of Ocular Fundus Using the Fourier Transform Method for Projected Grating Images

In topography measurements of a local ocular fundus of the human eye using a grating-pattern projection technique, a pre-processing method to detect fringes accurately and a generalized Fourier transform method to analyze the fringe deformations are proposed. The method of analysis compensates for fringe deformations caused by instrumental characteristics. By combining the two methods, depth information can be determined with high accuracy. It is shown that the topographic parameters of the optic disc and the fundus slopes in the rim area are obtained with good reproducibility.     

MRI angiography of the carotid artery

Spin echo images of the carotid arteries in longitudinal view have been obtained by selection of oblique imaging planes. Blood flow within the lumen in the region of the carotid bifurcation has been visualized through the use of cardiac gating during end diastole. Using a surface coil placed about the mandible, high resolution images [(0.75 mm)² per pixel) were obtained with scan times typically equal to 9 min and image data matrix equal to 256 × 256. Images obtained with this technique of MRI carotid angiography demonstrate blood flow phenomenon as well as vascular anatomy.     

Blood vessel enhancement for DSA images based on adaptive multi-scale filtering

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) plays a significant role in the diagnosis, treatment planning and assessment of diseases. However, because of the geometrical complexity and fine characteristics of blood vessel structures, accurate and robust detection of blood vessels still remains a problem. In this paper, a blood vessel enhancement algorithm is proposed. The main purpose of this work is to improve the visual quality of blood vessels in DSA images. The new blood vessel enhancement algorithm is based on the multi-scale space theory and Hessian matrix. Not only the eigenvalues of Hessian matrix but also the angles between eigenvectors are utilized for the blood vessel enhancement of DSA. The filter parameters and scale factors are decided adaptively. Eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix are also used for the noise elimination. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a good performance in blood vessel enhancement of DSA images. The proposed algorithm filters image background and non-vascular structure effectively. The deformation of blood vessels occurred in the enhancement process is avoided and more small blood vessels are visible in DSA images.     

3D cerebrovascular segmentation combining fuzzy vessel enhancement and level-sets with anisotropic energy weights

The aim of this work is to present and evaluate a level-set segmentation approach with vesselness-dependent anisotropic energy weights, which focuses on the exact segmentation of malformed as well as small vessels from time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) datasets.     

Phase contrast and time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography of the intracerebral arteries at 1.5, 3 and 7 T

Purpose

Time-of-flight (ToF) and phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance angiographies (MRAs) are noninvasive applications to depict the cerebral arteries. Both approaches can image the cerebral vasculature without the administration of intravenous contrast. Therefore, it is used in routine clinical evaluation of cerebrovascular diseases, e.g., aneurysm and arteriovenous malformations. However, subtle microvascular disease usually cannot be resolved with standard, clinical-field-strength MRA. The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of ToF and PC MRA to visualize the cerebral arteries at increasing field strengths.

Materials and Methods

The Institutional Review Board-approved study included eight healthy volunteers (age: 36±10 years; three female, five male). All subjects provided written informed consent. ToF and PC MRAs were obtained at 1.5, 3 and 7 T. Signal intensities of the large, primary vessels of the Circle of Willis were measured, and signal-to-noise ratios were calculated. Visualization of smaller first- and second-order branch arteries of the Circle of Willis was also evaluated.

Results

The results show that both ToF and PC MRAs allow the depiction of the large primary vessels of the Circle of Willis at all field strengths. Ultrahigh field (7 T) provides only small increases in the signal-to-noise ratio in these primary vessels due to the smaller voxel size acquired. However, ultrahigh-field MRA provides better visualization of the first- and second-order branch arteries with both ToF and PC approaches. Therefore, ultrahigh-field MRA may become an important tool in future neuroradiology research and clinical care.