High-definition,single-scan 2D MRI in inhomogeneous fields using spatial encoding methods

An approach has been recently introduced for acquiring two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance images in a single scan, based on the spatial encoding of the spin interactions. This article explores the potential of integrating this spatial encoding together with conventional temporal encoding principles, to produce 2D single-shot images with moderate field of views. The resulting “hybrid” imaging scheme is shown to be superior to traditional schemes in non-homogeneous magnetic field environments. An enhancement of previously discussed pulse sequences is also proposed, whereby distortions affecting the image along the spatially encoded axis are eliminated. This new variant is also characterized by a refocusing of T₂^* effects, leading to a restoration of high-definition images for regions which would otherwise be highly dephased and thus not visible. These single-scan 2D images are characterized by improved signal-to-noise ratios and a genuine T₂ contrast, albeit not free from inhomogeneity distortions. Simple postprocessing algorithms relying on inhomogeneity phase maps of the imaged object can successfully remove most of these residual distortions. Initial results suggest that this acquisition scheme has the potential to overcome strong field inhomogeneities acting over extended acquisition durations, exceeding 100 ms for a single-shot image.     

Single-shot fast spin-echo diffusion tensor imaging of the brain and spine with head and phased array coils at 1.5 T and 3.0 T

In this study, we investigated the use of a single-shot fast spin-echo-based sequence to perform diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with improved anatomic fidelity through the entire brain and the cervical spine. Traditionally, diffusion tensor images have been acquired by single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) methods in which large distortions result from magnetic susceptibility effects, especially near air-tissue interfaces. These distortions can be problematic, especially in anterior and inferior portions of the brain, and they also can severely limit applications in the spine. At higher magnetic fields these magnetic susceptibility artifacts are increased. The single-shot fast spin-echo (SSFSE) method used in this study utilizes radiofrequency rephasing in the transverse plane and thus provides diffusion images with negligible distortion even at 3 Tesla. In addition, the SSFSE sequence does not require multiple fast-receivers, which are not available on many magnetic resonance (MR) systems. Phased array coils were used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the images, offering a major inherent advantage in diffusion tensor imaging of the spine and brain. The mean diffusion measurements obtained with the SSFSE acquisition were not statistically different (p > 0.05) from EPI-based acquisitions. Compared to routine T(2)-weighted MR images, the DTI-EPI sequence showed up to 20% in elongation of the brain in the anterior-posterior direction on a sagittal image due to magnetic susceptibility distortions, whereas in the DTI-SSFSE, the image distortions were negligible. The diffusion tensor SSFSE method was also able to assess diffusion abnormalities in a brain stem hemorrhage, unaffected by the spatial distortions that limited conventional EPI acquisition.     

High-resolution NMR spectra in inhomogeneous and unstable fields via the three-pulse method

In modern solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the spectral resolution is mainly dependent on the spatial homogeneity and temporal stability of the magnetic field. The spectral linewidths are usually proportional to the overall field homogeneity and the stability experienced by the sample. Many high-resolution NMR methods have been developed, but few are applicable in inhomogeneous and unstable fields. In this paper, a high-resolution three-pulse method based on intermolecular zero-quantum coherences (iZQCs) is proposed. Since this method is insensitive to field inhomogeneity and instability, spectral information such as the chemical shift can be retained in the resulting spectra. In comparison with the CPMG-HOMOGENIZED method, the new method provides almost pure solvent–solute iZQC signals.     

High spatial resolution NMR imaging of polymer layers on metallic substrates

High spatial resolution NMR imaging techniques have been developed recently to measure the spatial inhomogeneity of a polymer coating film. However, the substrates of the polymer coatings for such experiments are generally required to be non-metallic, because metals can interact with static magnetic fields B(0) and RF fields B(1) giving rise to artifacts in NMR images. In this paper we present a systematic study on the effects of metallic substrates on 1D profiles obtained by high resolution NMR imaging. The off-resonance effect is discussed in detail in terms of the excitation profile of the RF pulses. We quantitatively show how the NMR signal intensities change with frequency offset at different RF pulse lengths. The complete NMR profiles were simulated using a Finite Element Analysis method by fully considering the inhomogeneities in both B(1) and B(0). The excellent agreement between the calculated and measured NMR profiles on both metallic and non-metallic substrates indicates that the experimental NMR profiles can be reproduced very well by numerical simulations. The metallic substrates can disturb the RF field of the coil by eddy current effect and therefore change the NMR profiles. To quantitatively interpret the NMR profile of a polymer layer on a metallic substrate, the profile has to be divided by the profile of a reference on the same metallic substrate located at the same distance from the coil.     

Microimaging at 14 tesla using GESEPI for removal of magnetic susceptibility artifacts in T(2)(*)-weighted image contrast.

In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T(2)(*)-weighted contrast is significantly enhanced by extremely high magnetic field strength, offering broad potential applications. However, the T(2)(*)-weighted image contrast distortion and signal loss artifact arising from discontinuities of magnetic susceptibility within and around the sample are also increased, limiting utilization of high field systems for T(2)(*)-weighted contrast applications. Due to the B(0) dependence of the contrast distortions and signal losses, and the heterogeneity of magnetic susceptibility in biological samples, magnetic susceptibility artifacts worsen dramatically for in vivo microimaging at higher fields. Practical applications of T(2)(*)-sensitive techniques enhanced by higher magnetic fields are therefore challenged. This report shows that magnetic susceptibility artifacts dominate T(2)(*)-weighted image contrast at 14 T, and demonstrates that the GESEPI (gradient echo slice excitation profile imaging) technique effectively reduces or eliminates these artifacts at long TE in the highest field (14 T) currently available for (1)H imaging.     

Improved B0 field map estimation for high field EPI

Echo planar imaging (EPI) is an ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that allows one to acquire a 2D image in about 100 ms. Unfortunately, the standard EPI images suffer from substantial geometric distortions, mainly originating from susceptibility differences in adjacent tissues. To reduce EPI distortions, correction methods based on a field map, which is a map of the off-resonance frequencies, have been developed. In this work, a nonlinear least squares estimator is used to optimize the estimation of the field map of the B₀ field. The model of the EPI and reference data includes parameters for the phase evolution, the complex magnitude, the relaxation of the MRI signal and the EPI-specific phase difference between odd and even echoes, and from these parameters, additional corrections might be computed. The reference data required to estimate the field map can be acquired with a modified EPI-sequence. The proposed method is tested on simulated as well as experimental data and proves to be significantly more robust against noise, compared to the previously suggested method.     

Spiral MRI和图像处理

介绍了在Bruker Biospec 47/30 超导核磁共振成象仪(4.7 T)上实现Spiral快速成像及图像处理系统. 图像处理系统基于PC技术构建而成,主要功能包括：1） 将以Spiral形式采集到的时域磁共振信号转化为适用于快速傅立叶变换的笛卡尔网格(Cartesian)形式（网格化处理）;2）二维快速傅立叶变换(2D-FFT,图像重建);3）由化学位移偏置或磁场不均匀引起得偏共振效应(off-resonance effect)的校正;4）图像分析. 该软件适用于包括以多片多回波在内的各种采样方式得到的Spiral图像的重建和分析,也适用于常规成像数据的重建和分析. 所得到的图像可以以数据方式保存以供再次读入,也能够以TIF、GIF、JPG、BM等格式辅出为图像文件.     

地面核磁偏共振响应特征与复包络反演方法

地面核磁共振(surface nuclear magnetic resonance,SNMR)方法在地下水探测领域具有直接、定量和解释唯一等优势,但是由于地磁场存在不均匀、随时间变化和易受噪声影响等难以确定的问题,导致偏共振激发,严重影响反演结果的准确性.本文基于地面核磁偏共振(surface nuclear magnetic off-resonance,SNMOR)模型和相应的核函数表达式,讨论了频率偏量对偏共振信号的影响,并提出了基于系统相位自动搜索和信号实部与虚部同时参与的复包络反演方法.通过仿真模型和反演结果对比得到:偏共振信号相位随频率的增加而增大,仿真模型中的信号幅度最大提高了65.9%;当频率偏量大于2 Hz时,利用SNMOR核函数的反演结果的准确度明显优于SNMR核函数的结果;当噪声较大时,复包络方法充分利用测量数据的有用信息,比常规幅度反演具有更高的稳定性和可靠性.最后,通过野外实测数据和反演结果,验证了本文提出的SNMOR模型和复包络反演方法的有效性和准确性,为地下水探测领域提供了新的技术手段.     

Improving spectral resolution in spatial encoding dimension of single-scan nuclear magnetic resonance 2D spin echo correlated spectroscopy

The spatial encoding technique can be used to accelerate the acquisition of multi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. However, with this technique, we have to make trade-offs between the spectral width and the resolution in the spatial encoding dimension (F1 dimension), resulting in the difficulty of covering large spectral widths while preserving acceptable resolutions for spatial encoding spectra. In this study, a selective shifting method is proposed to overcome the aforementioned drawback. This method is capable of narrowing spectral widths and improving spectral resolutions in spatial encoding dimensions by selectively shifting certain peaks in spectra of the ultrafast version of spin echo correlated spectroscopy (UFSECSY). This method can also serve as a powerful tool to obtain high-resolution correlated spectra in inhomogeneous magnetic fields for its resistance to any inhomogeneity in the F1 dimension inherited from UFSECSY. Theoretical derivations and experiments have been carried out to demonstrate performances of the proposed method. Results show that the spectral width in spatial encoding dimension can be reduced by shortening distances between cross peaks and axial peaks with the proposed method and the expected resolution improvement can be achieved. Finally, the shifting-absent spectrum can be recovered readily by post-processing.     

Joint B0 and image estimation integrated with model based reconstruction for field map update and distortion correction in prostate diffusion MRI

In prostate Diffusion Weighted MRI, differences in susceptibility values exist at the interface between the prostate and rectal-air. This can result in off-resonance magnetic field leading to geometric distortions including signal stretching and signal pile-up in the reconstructed images. Using a set of EPI data acquired with blip-up and blip-down phase encoding gradient directions, model based reconstruction has recently been proposed that can correct these distortions by using a B₀ field estimated from a separate B₀ scan. However, change in the size of the rectal air region across time can occur that can result in a mismatch of the B₀ field to the EPI scan. Also, the measured B₀ field itself can be erroneous in regions of low Signal to Noise ratio around the prostate rectal air interface. In this work, using a set of single shot EPI data acquired with blip-up and blip-down phase encoding gradient directions, a novel joint model based reconstruction is proposed that can account for changes in the off resonance effects between the B₀ and EPI scans. For ten prostate patients, using a measured B₀ field as an initial B₀ estimate, on a 5-point scale (1–5) image quality scores evaluated by an experienced radiologist, the proposed framework achieved scores of 3.50 ± 0.85 and 3.40 ± 0.51 for b-values of 0 and 500 s/mm², respectively compared to 3.40 ± 0.70 and 3.30 ± 0.67 for model based reconstruction. The proposed framework is also capable of estimating a distortion corrected EPI image even without an initial B₀ field estimate in situations where a separate B₀ scan cannot be obtained due to time constraint.     

The 'DANTE' experiment

The selective excitation scheme known as ‘DANTE’ emerged from a confluence of several ideas for new NMR experiments, some more fanciful than others. DANTE offers a simple and effective way to restrict excitation to a very narrow frequency band, usually that of a single resonance line. Initially applied to the study of individual proton-coupled carbon-13 spin multiplets, the method has been extended to water presaturation, relaxation measurements, and chemical exchange studies. Through the imposition of a magnetic field gradient it offers a simple method to enhance resolution by restricting the effective volume of the sample. Multiple DANTE excitation (with Hadamard encoding) can speed up multidimensional spectroscopy by orders of magnitude. Applied to magnetic resonance imaging, the DANTE sequence has been used to superimpose a rectangular grid onto a cardiac image, permitting motional distortions to be monitored in real time.     

Analysis of time-resolved CW-EPR spectra of short-lived radicals at different times after laser excitation

Laser excitation combined with time-resolved CW-EPR spectroscopy of a carotenoid-porphyrin-diquinone tetrad (1), observes polarized spectra of the end quinone radical anion, Q·_B ^?. These spectra strongly depend on the time interval between the laser pulse and the position of the detection window of the transient magnetization profile, and may lead to misinterpretation of the radical intermediates participating in the reaction route. Spectral distortions arise from small hyperfine splittings and narrow line widths, resulting in the appearance of Torrey wiggles at off-resonance fields. The correct spectrum, however, and its line shape appear at times above 1 μs after the laser pulse, and is in complete agreement with the Fourier transform EPR spectrum. Analysis and reconstruction of the transient spectra is carried out in Fourier conjugate space. The experimental spectra are shown to be the Fourier transform of the free-induction decay (FID) multiplied by an appropriate windowing function. The changes in the spectra taken at t<1 μs are due to line distortions and not to chemical processes. This treatment is of general applicability in the spectral analysis of time-resolved CW-EPR spectra.     

Angle tolerant transmissive color filters exploiting metasurface incorporating hydrogenated amorphous silicon nanopillars

Angle tolerant transmissive subtractive color filters incorporating a metasurface exploiting hydrogenated amorphous silicon nanopillars(NPs) on a glass substrate were proposed and demonstrated. The achieved transmission efficiency ranged from 75% to 95% at off-resonance wavelengths. For an NP resonator, electric and magnetic-field distributions in conjunction with absorption cross-sections were investigated to confirm a resonant transmission dip, which is primarily governed by the absorption resulting from simultaneous excitation of magnetic and electric dipoles via Mie scattering. The proposed devices exhibit higher angular tolerance and lower crosstalk for the absorption spectra and, therefore, are applicable with photodetectors, image sensors, and imaging/display devices.     

Dual-acquisition phase-sensitive fat-water separation using balanced steady-state free precession

Balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequences use fully re-focussed gradient waveforms to achieve a high signal and useful image contrast in short scan times. Despite these strengths, the clinical feasibility of balanced SSFP is still limited both by bright fat signal and by the signal voids that result from off-resonance effects such as field or susceptibility variations. A new method, dual-acquisition phase-sensitive SSFP, combines the signals from two standard balanced SSFP acquisitions to separate fat and water while simultaneously reducing the signal voids. The acquisitions are added in quadrature and then phase corrected using a simple algorithm before fat and water can be identified simply by the sign of the signal. This method is especially useful for applications at high field, where the RF power deposition, spatial resolution requirements and gradient strength limit the minimum repetition times. Finally, dual-acquisition phase-sensitive SSFP can be combined with other magnetization preparation schemes to produce specific image contrast in addition to separating fat and water signals.     

Off-resonance frequency filtered magnetic resonance imaging

One of the main problems with rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques is the artifacts that result from off-resonance effects. The proposed off-resonance frequency filtered MRI (OFF-MRI) method focuses on the elimination of off-resonance components from the image of the observed object. To maintain imaging speed and simultaneously achieve good frequency selectivity, MRI is divided into two steps: signal acquisition and post-processing.     

Susceptibility-matched envelope for the correction of EPI artifacts

Fast gradient echo sequences, such as echo planer imaging (EPI) and spiral imaging, are vulnerable to artifacts resulting from B(0) inhomogeneities. A major contribution to these artifacts is the susceptibility variation across the head, which is most severe in regions adjacent to air-tissue interfaces, such as the mouth, nasal sinuses, ears and the cortex. Susceptibility artifacts can cause geometrical distortions in the image as well as loss of signal due to T(2)* dephasing. The extent of these artifacts increases with the main field, thus compromising the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) benefit gained in higher fields. In the current work, inhomogeneity caused by susceptibility variations at the external boundary of the human body has been corrected by surrounding the organs with a liquid without hydrogen atoms and whose susceptibility is similar to that of the imaged organ. EPI experiments were conducted on head-sized phantom, human brain, hand and legs. This method causes minimal patient inconvenience and no interference with any function of the scanner, thus yielding a simple and efficient solution for the correction of B(0) variation.     

On the performance and accuracy of 2D navigator pulses.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and to optimize the performance of two-dimensional spatially selective excitation pulses used for navigator applications on a clinical scanner. The influence of gradient imperfections, off-resonance effects, and incomplete k-space covering on the pencil beam-shaped spatial excitation profile of the 2D RF pulse was studied. The studies involved experiments performed on phantoms and in vivo. In addition, simulations were carried out by numerical integration of the Bloch equations. The accuracy of positioning of the pencil beam was increased by a factor of three by employing a simple correction scheme for the compensation of gradient distortions. The spatial selectivity of the 2D RF pulse was improved by taking sampling density corrections into account. The 2D RF pulse performance was found to be sufficient to monitor the diaphragm motion even at moderate gradient strength. For applications, where a high spatial resolution is required or a less characteristic contrast is present a strong gradient system is recommended.     

Truncated sinc slice excitation for 31P spectroscopic imaging

The shortest possible delay (Td) between slice selection and data acquisition is important for producing high quality 31P spectra. In single slice multivoxel spectroscopic imaging, conventional excitation using sinc-shaped rf pulses within typical gradient limitations can have values of Td that lead to significant spectral distortion and loss of signal. Truncated sinc excitation, which ends the excitation close to the center of the main rf lobe has been suggested for MR angiographic applications to produce short values of Td. In this work, the slice profiles, spectral signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spectral distortions are compared using the minimum delay achievable on a commercial MRI system for conventional 'sinc' rf excitation and truncated sinc excitation. Slice profiles are calculated using the Bloch equations and measured with a phantom. SNR and spectral distortions are evaluated from whole slice spectra on a human volunteer. On an MRI system with 1 G/cm gradients (0.5 msec risetime), for a 2.5-cm slice at 31P frequencies, conventional excitation can be adjusted to achieve Td = 2.5 msec while truncated sinc excitation yields Td = 1.5 msec. The truncated sinc excitation's shorter value of Td leads to much smaller spectral distortions, but its slice profile has "dispersive tails" which increase as more of the rf is truncated. Slice profile corrected SNR for the beta-ATP peak of 31P on a human volunteer is equivalent for both sequences while, qualitatively, in the PDE region the truncated sinc approach has improved SNR.     

小动物高分辨扩散加权成像在临床 MRI 上的实现

在临床用MRI系统上对小动物扩散加权成像一般采用回波平面成像序列,但是回波平面成像易受偏共振效应的影响,得到的图像伪影大、几何变形严重、图像分辨率低,无法探究微小的生物组织结构. 该文报道了在临床用3 T MRI系统上采用自旋回波序列实现了高分辨扩散加权成像. 为减少运动伪影,序列中整合了导航回波矫正技术. 对脑缺血模型大鼠脑部的扫描结果显示,自旋回波扩散加权序列获得的图像基本没有发生形变,并且具有较高的分辨率和较好的信噪比.     

High resolution NMR spectroscopy of rat brain in vivo through indirect zero-quantum-coherence detection

The time evolution of zero-quantum-coherences (ZQCs) is insensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneity. Using a 2D indirect ZQC detection method it is shown that high-resolution (1)H NMR spectra can be obtained from rat brain in vivo at 11.74T that are immune to magnetic field inhomogeneity. Simulations based on the density matrix formalism, as well as in vitro measurements are used to demonstrate the features of 2D ZQC NMR spectra. Unique spectral information which is normally not directly available from regular (1)H NMR spectra can be extracted and used for compound identification or improved prior knowledge during spectral fitting.