基于同时多层激发和并行成像的心脏磁共振电影成像

磁共振成像（MRI）无创无害、对比度多、可以任意剖面成像的特点特别适合用于心脏成像,却因扫描时间长限制了其在临床上的应用.为了解决心脏磁共振电影成像屏气扫描时间过长的问题,该文提出了一种基于同时多层激发的多倍加速心脏磁共振电影成像及其影像重建的方法,该方法将相位调制多层激发（CAIPIRINHA）技术与并行加速（PPA）技术相结合,运用到分段采集心脏电影成像序列中,实现了在相位编码方向和选层方向的四倍加速,并使用改进的SENSE/GRAPPA算法对图像进行重建.分别在水模以及人体上进行了实验,将加速序列图像与不加速序列图像进行对比,结果验证了重建算法的有效性,表明该方法可以在保障图像质量以及准确测量心脏功能的前提下成倍节省扫描时间.     

人脑GABA测量在临床3 T磁共振成像系统上的实现

γ-氨基丁酸(γ-Aminobutyric Acid，GABA)是人脑中枢神经系统中一种重要的抑制性神经递质，对神经活动的调节起着主导作用.由于人脑GABA固有含量低以及与其他代谢物谱峰的重叠，在临床用磁共振成像系统中使用点分辨波谱(PRESS)序列或受激回波采集模式(STEAM)序列难以直接检测到GABA δ 3.01信号. 该文报道了MEGA-PRESS脉冲序列在临床用3 T磁共振成像系统上的实现，采用J差分谱编辑技术实现了对GABA的检测. 水模实验和人脑在体实验显示，MEGA-PRESS序列对GABA δ 3.01信号具有较好的检测效果.     

利用动态接收增益提高磁共振成像信噪比的方法

提出了一种提高磁共振成像(MRI)信噪比的有效方法.该方法在每次采集回波信号前,能够快速、灵活地控制MRI接收机的增益,实现磁共振信号动态范围的压缩;在图像重建之前采用双精度浮点运算扩展动态范围压缩的磁共振信号,最终得到信噪比提高的重建图像.在1.5 T超导MRI系统上进行了自旋回波序列的水模成像,实验结果表明,相比传统的基于固定接收增益的扫描图像,利用该方法得到的T1加权图像信噪比可以提高10%.和其他提高磁共振信号动态范围的方法相比,该方法无需增加额外硬件电路,避免多次采集图像,因而具有实现成本低的优点,是一种提高MRI信噪比的有效方法.     

1.5 T下高介电材料几何结构对发射场影响的仿真研究

近年来研究发现,在高场及超高场磁共振成像(MRI)中,高介电材料在提高磁共振射频线圈性能,以及增强图像信噪比方面具有极大的应用潜力．当前高介电材料研究主要集中于其对磁共振图像信噪比的改善,但对于高介电材料几何结构,以及其对发射场分布均匀度影响的研究不多．本研究利用电磁仿真的方法定量分析了1.5T下,高介电材料几何结构对水模感兴趣区内发射效率均值和发射场B₁⁺均匀度的影响．结果表明,高介电材料的几何结构对B₁⁺均匀度会产生较大影响;比较了不同几何结构的高介电衬垫之后发现,加入四等分圆筒状高介电衬垫后,感兴趣区内发射效率提升最高,同时B₁⁺均匀度也保持良好．该结果对高介电材料应用于MRI具有重要的参考价值．     

一种永磁磁共振中磁体涡流场的测量方法

磁共振成像（Magntic Resonance Imaging,MRI）技术是一种先进的医疗影像技术.在MRI系统中,通过梯度线圈电流快速切换方向,对待测区域施加梯度磁场,产生的梯度磁场会在其周围的金属体内激发出变化的涡旋电场,进而导致金属体内闭合的回路中产生对原来的梯度电流起抑制作用的感生电流,也就是我们所说的涡流.本文介绍了一种测量磁体涡流场的方法,结合电磁感应定律,设计了一种磁体涡流场测量装置,通过硬件采集以及软件处理的方法,将理想梯度场与实际磁场进行相减并将波形实时呈现,实验结果表明该方法可实现对磁体涡流场的测量.     

增强低场下脑功能磁共振成像显著性的研究

实现了基于低场0.35 T磁共振成像系统的大脑功能磁共振成像（functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,fMRI）的研究. 基于质子密度加权的快速自旋回波(Turbo Spin Echo,TSE)图像,重点研究增强低场fMRI显著性的方法,目的在于提高低场fMRI的可用性. 结果表明：健康受试者在执行手动任务期间,大脑运动区的信号强度变化可以由基于血管外质子信号增强 (Signal Enhancement by Extravascular water Protons,EEP)的对比机制探测. 优化TSE序列参数能提高图像SNR和扫描速度,并在统计分析中增加外在屏蔽图像,可以有效地提高低场下fMRI研究结果的显著性.     

三维多回波流动补偿定量磁化率成像(QSM)方法研究

定量磁化率成像(QSM)利用一般成像技术舍弃的相位信息得到局部磁场变化特性,通过复杂的场到源反演计算,可直接得到定量的磁化率图,它广泛应用于测量血氧饱和度、脑部微出血、铁沉积、组织钙化等方面．然而,梯度磁场中流动会引起相位错误,并且产生显著的流动伪影,最终得到错误的QSM图像．为了矫正流动的影响,该文在3 T磁共振系统上实现了三维多回波流动补偿梯度回波序列,并用该序列采集流动水模和志愿者颅脑数据．流动水模和颅脑数据均显示,流动补偿能够明显矫正相位错误,消除流动伪影．颅脑横断位QSM结果证明,流动补偿序列可以消除血液流动引起的QSM的错误,提高QSM的准确性．     

超极化气体肺部磁共振成像

磁共振成像(MRI)技术具有非侵入、无放射性的特点,在临床疾病诊断中具有独特的优势,但是肺部空腔的特殊结构使传统质子MRI无法对其直接成像.自旋交换光抽运(SEOP)方法可以使惰性气体原子的极化度增强4个量级以上,从而使肺部的气体MRI成为可能.该文介绍了超极化惰性气体肺部MRI的最新研究进展,包括超极化气体磁共振相关参数的测量方法、肺部通气结构成像、肺部气体交换功能成像,同时比较了常用于肺部MRI气体的优点和缺点.     

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.     

基于优化后流动敏感黑血序列的豆纹动脉3 T磁共振成像

豆纹动脉是大脑内部的重要动脉,其阻塞往往会导致腔隙性脑梗死.现在在临床上主要利用数字减影血管造影(Digital Subtraction Angiography,DSA)技术实现豆纹动脉成像,然而DSA的有创性是其重要的限制因素.有研究表明,在高场磁共振系统(7 T)下,时间飞跃法(Time-Of-Flight,TOF)已经能够得到较好的豆纹动脉影像,但是在临床使用的1.5 T或3 T磁共振系统下,由于豆纹动脉的管腔直径非常小(大约为0.3~0.7 mm)、血流速度比较慢,对其成像仍然是个挑战.该文主要研究了在3 T磁共振系统下使用流动敏感黑血(Flow-Sensitive Black-Blood,FSBB)序列对豆纹动脉进行成像的方法,并对该成像序列中流动敏感梯度的设计进行了优化,使其在扫描时间和图像分辨率、对比度、信噪比等方面都能够基本满足临床使用的要求.     

A modified multi-echo AFI for simultaneous B1 magnitude and phase mapping

To simultaneously acquire the B₁⁺ magnitude and B₁⁺ phase, a modified multi-echo actual flip-angle imaging (AFI) sequence is proposed. A multi-echo gradient echo sequence was integrated into every even TR of AFI to measure both magnitude and phase of B₁⁺. In addition, to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the B₁⁺ phase, a double-angle multi-echo AFI sequence, in which the flip-angle of the RF pulses is α at the odd TR and 2α at the even TR is proposed. Images were simulated to evaluate the performance of this method under various imaging and physical parameters. The performance was compared to the spin echo based B₁⁺ mapping method in phantom and in vivo studies.     

TriTone: a radiofrequency field (B1)-insensitive T1 estimator for MRI at high magnetic fields

Fast, high-resolution, longitudinal relaxation time (T1) mapping is invaluable in clinical and research applications. It has been shown that two spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) images acquired in steady state with variable flip angles is an attractive alternative to the multi-image sets previously acquired with inversion or saturation recovery. The known sensitivity of the two-point method to transmit radiofrequency field (B1) inhomogeneity exacerbated at 3 T and above, however, mandates its combination with an additional, time-consuming and possibly specific-absorption-rate-intensive B1 measurement, preventing direct migration of the method to these fields. To address this, we introduce a method designed to be free of systematic errors caused by B1 inhomogeneity in which the value of T1 is extracted from three SPGR images acquired with echo planar imaging (EPI) readout. The precision of the T1 maps produced is found to be comparable to the two-point method, while the accuracy is greatly improved in the same time and spatial resolution. A welcome byproduct of the method is a map of B1 that can be used to correct other acquisitions in the same session. Tables of the optimal acquisition protocols are provided for several total imaging times.     

Optimized gradient spoiling of UTE VFA-AFI sequences for robust T1 estimation with B1-field correction

Quantifying T₁ relaxation times is a challenge because inhomogeneities of the B₁ field have to be corrected to obtain proper values. It is a particular challenge in tissues with short T₂^⁎ values, for which conventional MRI techniques do not provide sufficient signal. Recently, a B₁-field correction technique called AFI (Actual Flip angle Imaging) has been introduced that can be combined with UTE (ultra-short echo-time) sequences, which have much shorter echo times compared to conventional MRI techniques, allowing quantification of signal in short T₂^⁎ tissues. A disadvantage of AFI is that it requires very long relaxation delays between repetitions to minimize the influence of imperfect spoiling of transverse magnetization on signal behavior. In this work, we propose a novel spoiling scheme for the AFI sequence that efficiently provides accurate B₁ correction maps with strongly reduced acquisition time. We validated the method with both phantom and preliminary in vivo results.     

Fast imaging for magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography

In magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT), currents are injected into an object, the resulting magnetic flux density is measured using MRI, and the conductivity distribution reconstructed using these MRI data. The relatively long acquisition times of conventional MREIT methods limit the signal averaging rate and are susceptible to motion artifacts. In this study, we reconstructed the conductivity distribution of an agarose gel phantom from data acquired in under a minute using a single-shot, spin echo, echo planar imaging (SS-SEPI) pulse sequence. The results demonstrate that SS-SEPI can be used for MREIT data acquisition.     

Non-uniformity correction of human brain imaging at high field by RF field mapping of B1+ and B1-

A new method of non-uniform image correction is proposed. Image non-uniformity is originated from the spatial distribution of RF transmission and reception fields, represented as B(1)(+) and B(1)(-), respectively. In our method, B(1)(+) mapping was performed invivo by a phase method. In B(1)(-) mapping, images with multiple TEs were acquired with a multi-echo adiabatic spin echo (MASE) sequence which enables homogeneous excitation. By T(2) fitting of these images an M(0) map (M(0)(MASE)) was obtained, in which signal intensity was expressed as the product of B(1)(-) and M?(1-e?(TR/T1)) . The ratio of this M(0)(MASE) map to the B(1)(+) map showed a similar spatial pattern in different human brains. These ratios of M(0)(MASE) to B(1)(+) in 24 subjects were averaged and then fitted with a spatially polynomial function to obtain a ratio map of B(1)(-)/B(1)(+)(α). Uniform image was achieved in spin echo (SE), MASE and inversion recovery turboFLASH (IRTF) images using measured B(1)(+) and calculated B(1)(-) by αB(1)(+). Water fractions in gray and white matters obtained from the M(0) images corrected by this method were in good agreement with previously reported values. From these experimental results, the proposed method of non-uniformity correction is validated at 4.7 T imaging.     

In vivo relaxation of N-acetyl-aspartate, creatine plus phosphocreatine, and choline containing compounds during the course of brain infarction: a proton MRS study.

Localized water suppressed proton spectroscopy has opened up a new field of pathophysiological studies of severe brain ischemia. The signals obtained with the pulse sequences used so far are both T₁ and T₂ weighted. In order to evaluate the extent to which changes in metabolite signals during the course of infarction can be explained by changes in T₁ and T₂ relaxation times, eight patients with acute stroke were studied. STEAM sequences with varying echo delay times and repetition times were used to measure T₁ and T₂ of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), creatine plus phosphocreatine (Cr+PCr) and choline containing compounds (CHO) in a 27-ml voxel located in the affected area of the brain. Ten healthy volunteers served as controls. We found no difference in T₁ or T₂ of the metabolites between the patients and the normal controls. The T₂ of CHO was longer than that of NAA and Cr+PCr. Our results indicate that spectra obtained in brain infarcts and normal tissue with the same acquisition parameters are directly comparable with respect to relative signal intensities as well as signals scaled with internal and external standards.     

1D spectroscopic imaging with rf echo planar (SIRFEN) methods

A recently developed rf echo planar imaging method has been modified to rapidly generate spectroscopic information along one in-plane axis and spatial information along the other. The method allows the production of one-dimensional chemical shift images (1D CSIs) in acquisition times of 18 sec or less. A specific phase-encode-reordering algorithm provides convenient manipulation of T₂ weighting, yielding partial suppression of short T₂ species like muscle water. The method is demonstrated in phantoms and in vivo with 1D CSIs of human brain and limbs. Abnormal fat distribution is demonstrated in the calf of a patient with aggressive fibromatosis. The advantages of short acquisition times obtainable with SIRFEN are offset by limited spectral resolution, suggesting that primary applications will be confined to rapid spatial mapping of major spectral components.     

Simple data acquisition method for multi-dimensional EPR spectral-spatial imaging using a combination of constant-time and projection-reconstruction modalities

A combination of the constant-time spectral-spatial imaging (CTSSI) modality and projection-reconstruction modality was tested to simplify data acquisition for multi-dimensional CW EPR spectral-spatial imaging. In this method, 3D spectral-spatial image data were obtained by simple repetition of conventional 2D CW imaging process, except that the field gradient amplitude was incremented in constant steps in each repetition. The data collection scheme was no different from the conventional CW imaging system for spectral-spatial data acquisition. No special equipment and/or rewriting of existing software were required. The data acquisition process for multi-dimensional spectral-spatial imaging is consequently simplified. There is also no “missing-angle” issue because the CTSSI modality was employed to reconstruct 2D spectral-spatial images. Extra reconstruction processes to obtain higher spatial dimensions were performed using a conventional projection-reconstruction modality. This data acquisition technique can be applied to any conventional CW EPR (spatial) imaging system for multi-dimensional spectral-spatial imaging.     

Echo-planar rotating-frame imaging

A new rotating-frame imaging method that produces a complete cross section of an object in a single experiment is reported. The echo planar rotating frame imaging (EPROFI) technique uses two perpendicular RF gradients for two-dimensional spatial encoding and fully exploits the formation of rotary echoes for fast sampling of spatial frequencies. The acquisition scheme yields the Fourier transform of the spin distribution on Cartesian coordinates for straightforward image reconstruction. Implementation of the technique on a low-field portable NMR probe is described and results are presented for test objects with different geometries.     

Quantitative NumART2* mapping in functional MRI studies at 1.5 T

Quantitative mapping of the effective transverse relaxation time, T₂* and proton density was performed in a motor activation functional MRI (fMRI) study using multi-echo, echo planar imaging (EPI) and NumART₂* (Numerical Algorithm for Real time T₂*). Comparisons between NumART₂* and conventional single echo EPI with an echo time of 64 ms were performed for five healthy participants examined twice. Simulations were also performed to address specific issues associated with the two techniques, such as echo time-dependent signal variation. While the single echo contrast varied with the baseline T₂* value, relative changes in T₂* remained unaffected. Statistical analysis of the T₂* maps yielded fMRI activation patterns with an improved statistical detection relative to conventional EPI but with less activated voxels, suggesting that NumART₂* has superior spatial specificity. Two effects, inflow and dephasing, that may explain this finding were investigated. Particularly, a statistically significant increase in proton density was found in a brain area that was detected as activated by conventional EPI but not by NumART₂* while no such changes were observed in brain areas that showed stimulus correlated signal changes on T₂* maps.