Magnetic resonance velocity imaging of liquid and gas two-phase flow in packed beds

Single-phase liquid flow in porous media such as bead packs and model fixed bed reactors has been well studied by MRI. To some extent this early work represents the necessary preliminary research to address the more challenging problem of two-phase flow of gas and liquid within these systems. In this paper, we present images of both the gas and liquid velocities during stable liquid–gas flow of water and SF₆ within a packing of 5 mm spheres contained within columns of diameter 40 and 27 mm; images being acquired using ¹H and ¹⁹F observation for the water and SF₆, respectively. Liquid and gas flow rates calculated from the velocity images are in agreement with macroscopic flow rate measurements to within 7% and 5%, respectively. In addition to the information obtained directly from these images, the ability to measure liquid and gas flow fields within the same sample environment will enable us to explore the validity of assumptions used in numerical modelling of two-phase flows.     

Three-vessel study of cerebral blood flow using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging: Effect of physical characteristics

The development of phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (P-C MRI) provides a noninvasive method for measurement of volumetric blood flow (VFR). We performed P-C MRI to study the effects of physical characteristics on cerebral blood flow. VFR of the left and right internal carotid arteries and basilar artery were measured using P-C MRI and total cerebral blood flow (tCBF) was calculated by summing up the VFR values in the three vessels. Moreover, we investigated the changes in these blood flows as influenced by age, head size, height, weight, body surface area, and handedness. The blood flows were 142 ± 58 ml/min (mean ± standard deviation) in the basilar artery; and 229 ± 86 ml/min in the left, and 223 ± 58 ml/min in the right internal carotid artery; and tCBF was 617 ± 128 ml/min. Significant increases were observed in head size-related change of VFR in the basilar artery (p = .028) and height-related change of tCBF (p = .045). The other characteristics did not significantly influence any VFR. The results suggest that head size and height may reflect CBF, and that these effects should be considered when changes of CBF are diagnosed. Phase-contrast MRI is useful for a noninvasive and rapid analysis of cerebral VFR and has potential for clinical use.     

A model for quantitative changes in the magnetic resonance parameters of muscle in children after therapeutic irradiation

Purpose/ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop objective models of radiation effects on musculature in children with soft tissue sarcoma using treatment dosimetry and clinical and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters that may be used to guide treatment planning or predict side effects.MethodsIn the initial 13 patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (RT) on a Phase II study of conformal or intensity-modulated RT for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma approved by an Institutional Review Board, we evaluated quantitative MRI changes in the musculature to assess radiation-related treatment effects. Patients with soft tissue sarcoma, including Ewing's sarcoma, had quantitative T₁, T₂ and dynamic enhanced MRI (DEMRI) performed before, during (Week 4) and after RT (Week 12). Regions of interest were selected in consistent locations within and outside the high-dose regions (on ipsilateral and contralateral sides when available). Mean RT dose, T₁, T₂ and DEMRI parameters were calculated and modeled using a mixed random coefficient dose model.ResultsThe mean doses to the high- and low-dose regions were 56.4 Gy (41.8–75.3 Gy) and 13.0 Gy (0.1–37.5 Gy), respectively. Compared with tissues distant from the tumor bed, maximal enhancement was significantly increased in tissues adjacent to the tumor/tumor bed prior to RT (60.6 vs. 44.2, P=.045) and remained elevated after 12 weeks. T₁ was significantly elevated in tissues adjacent to the tumor bed prior to RT (942.4 vs. 759.0, P=.0078). The slope of longitudinal change in T₁ was greater for tissues that received low-dose irradiation than those that received high-dose irradiation (P=.0488). The effect of dose on the slope of T₂ was different (P=.0333) when younger and older patients are compared.ConclusionsAcute affects of irradiation in muscle are quantifiable via MRI. These models provide evidence that quantifiable MRI parameters may be correlated with patient parameters of radiation dose and clinical factors including patient age. Long-term follow-up will be required to determine if acute changes correlate with clinically significant late effects.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal and pathologic muscular system

Evaluation of the muscular system with magnetic resonance (MR) was conducted: (1) to assess the capability of MR to depict muscular abnormalities; (2) to evaluate the ability of MR to discriminate between various types of muscular pathologies based on relaxation parameters; and (3) to determine the optimal spin echo (SE) sequence that produced optimal contrast. Retrospective analysis was performed on 59 consecutive patients with a variety of muscular abnormalities. MR muscle analysis included visual inspection of contour and size; muscle intensity changes in relation to various TR/TE combinations; measurement of T1 and T2 relaxation and spin density; and calculation of percent contrast variation with different SE imaging combinations. Contour and size abnormalities were not reliable for detection of muscular pathology. For each individual subject intensity and relaxation times of all muscles involved by pathology differed from normal muscle. Although all pathologies caused increase in signal intensity of muscle, the alterations in relaxation times were variable. Fatty atrophy caused a decrease in T1 and increase in T2; while post-surgical changes, infection, acute intramuscular hemorrhage, and tumor invasion caused an increase in both T1 and T2. Percent contrast indicated that the optimum sequence for evaluation of fatty atrophy was a short (0.5 sec) repetition time (TR) and echo delay time (TE) of 56 msec, while for demonstration of the remaining muscular abnormalities, including post-surgical changes, infection, acute intramuscular hemorrhage, and tumor invasion, a long TR (TR = 2.0 sec) and TE (56 msec) was optimal. Differentiation between various benign and malignant muscular abnormalities (excluding fatty atrophy) was not possible using either quantitative intensity values or relaxation times.     

Magnetic nanostructures as amplifiers of transverse fields in magnetic resonance

We introduce the concept of amplifying the transverse magnetic fields produced and/or detected with inductive coils in magnetic resonance settings by using the reversible transverse susceptibility properties of magnetic nanostructures. First, we describe the theoretical formalism of magnetic flux amplification through the coil in the presence of a large perpendicular DC magnetic field (typical of magnetic resonance systems) achieved through the singularity in the reversible transverse susceptibility in anisotropic single domain magnetic nanoparticles. We experimentally demonstrate the concept of transverse magnetic flux amplification in an inductive coil system using oriented nanoparticles with uni-axial magnetic anisotropy. We also propose a composite ferromagnetic/anti-ferromagnetic core/shell nanostructure system with uni-directional magnetic anisotropy that, in principle, provides maximal transverse magnetic flux amplification.     

Carotid blood flow measurement accelerated by compressed sensing: Validation in healthy volunteers

Measurement of blood flow by cine phase-contrast MRI is a valuable technique in the study of arterial disease but is time consuming, especially for multi-slice (4D) studies. Compressed sensing is a modern signal processing technique that exploits sparse signal representations to enable sampling at lower than the conventional Nyquist rate. It is emerging as a powerful technique for the acceleration of MRI acquisition. In this study we evaluated the accuracy of phase-contrast carotid blood flow measurement in healthy volunteers using threefold undersampling of kt-space and compressed sensing reconstruction.     

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.     

Use of cine phase-contrast MRI in the assessment of distal splenorenal shunt function

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of a surgical splenorenal shunt in a 28-year-old girl are described. The woman underwent color doppler ultrasonography during follow up for the shunt, which was inconclusive. MR was used to investigate the function of the shunt. Velocity and flow direction in splanchnic vessels and in the shunt were evaluated using cine fast phase-contrast sequences. MR findings could be of help in the evaluation of patients undergoing surgical shunts during follow up.     

H Magnetic resonance imaging and P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in experimental filariasis

¹H Magnetic resonance imaging and ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have been carried out in experimental rodent filariasis, i.e., Acanthocheilonema viteae infection in the rodent host, Mastomys coucha. The T₂-weighted image of the infected host shows fine hyperintense thread like structures of adult filariid nests in the cervical region. ³¹P MRS of normal and infected hosts, localized over the same region of interest, show seven major peaks corresponding to phosphomonoesters (including glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, fructose-1-6-diphosphate, phosphorylcholine, and adenine monophosphate or AMP), inorganic phosphate, glycerophosphorylcholine, phosphoenolpyruvate, phosphocreatine and nucleoside di- and tri-phosphates. Concentrations of phosphomonoesters (PMEs) are higher in the normal rodent compared with the infected ones. In vivo ³¹P MRS provides a non-invasive assessment of tissue bioenergetics and phospholipid metabolism.     

Magnetic material arrangement in oriented termites: a magnetic resonance study

Temperature dependence of the magnetic resonance is used to study the magnetic material in oriented Neocapritermes opacus (N.o.) termite, the only prey of the migratory ant Pachycondyla marginata (P.m.). A broad line in the g=2 region, associated to isolated nanoparticles shows that at least 97% of the magnetic material is in the termite’s body (abdomen + thorax). From the temperature dependence of the resonant field and from the spectral linewidths, we estimate the existence of magnetic nanoparticles 18.5 ± 0.3 nm in diameter and an effective magnetic anisotropy constant, K_eff between 2.1 and 3.2 × 10⁴ erg/cm³. A sudden change in the double integrated spectra at about 100 K for N.o. with the long body axis oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field can be attributed to the Verwey transition, and suggests an organized film-like particle system.     

Comparison of MR perfusion imaging and microsphere measurements of regional cerebral blood flow in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion

The purpose of this investigation was to correlate magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion measurements with absolute regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in a rat model of focal ischemia. The MR perfusion measurements were made using dynamic first-pass bolus tracking of a susceptibility contrast agent, whereas rCBF was measured using radioactive microspheres. Two simple MR perfusion parameters, the maximum change in ( ) and time delay to ( ), were derived from the signal intensity versus time curves on a pixel-to-pixel basis, without applying curve-fitting procedures or tracer kinetic theory. In each hemisphere, and were compared with the rCBF measurements in four selected regions of interest. Sixteen MR bolus tracking series were performed in 12 rats with occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. In all of the individual series there was a significant correlation (.0001 ≤ p ≤ .02) between and the microsphere rCBF measurements, with correlation coefficients ranging from .784 to .983. Pooling the data resulted in a correlation coefficient of .809 (p = .0001). There was a nonlinear correlation between the and rCBF. For both parameters there was considerable variation between different measurements regarding both the slope of the regression line and its intercept with the y-axis. Our results justify the use of as a relative measure of perfusion during acute cerebral ischemia. Because of the interindividual variation, calibration of MR perfusion measurements for the estimation of absolute flow values must be considered unreliable. The may have physiological relevance as a marker of collateral flow.     

Magnetic resonance in iron oxide nanoparticles: Quantum features and effect of size

In order to better understand the transition from quantum to classical behavior in spin system, electron magnetic resonance (EMR) is studied in suspensions of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles with an average diameter of ∼9 nm and analyzed in comparison with the results obtained in the maghemite particles of smaller size (∼5 nm). It is shown that both types of particles demonstrate common EMR behavior, including special features such as the temperature-dependent narrow spectral component and multiple-quantum transitions. These features are common for small quantum systems and not expected in classical case. The relative intensity of these signals rapidly decreases with cooling or increase of particle size, marking gradual transition to the classical ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) behavior.     

Diagnosis of subclavian steal syndrome using dynamic time-resolved magnetic resonance angiography: a technical note

We developed a dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic imaging protocol that can aide the diagnosis of subclavian steal syndrome (SSS). Our protocol combines a new pulse sequence: time-resolved echo-shared angiographic technique (TREAT) with parallel imaging: generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA). Our pulse sequence, like traditional catheter angiography exams, provides anatomic and dynamic flow pattern information in one scan. If included in comprehensive SSS MR imaging examinations, this sequence can potentially reduce the need for diagnostic X-ray angiography.     

H Magnetic resonance imaging of rigid polymeric solids

Implementation of the ¹H magnetic resonance single-point imaging technique has provided new opportunities for the direct imaging of rigid solids, particularly semicrystalline polymers with spin-spin relaxation times, T^*₂, of the order of 10 μs and greater. Potential applications of industrial relevance in the following areas are briefly discussed and illustrated: fabricated/processed parts, photochemical degradation, oxidation, and blend characterization.     

Device for UV irradiation of blood with a disposable blood flow system

A device for extracorporal irradiation of blood by UV light with λ=300–400 nm is described. A disposable blood flow system with a specially profiled polymer cuvette is proposed. Mixing of blood during irradiation ensures uniform irradiation of blood cells passing through the cuvette, which makes it possible to enhance the healing effect of the procedure. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 70, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 2, pp. 289–292, March–April, 1999.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of an infected urethral diverticulum: A case report

We present a case report of a urethral diverticulum where magnetic resonance imaging suggested infected contents of the urethral diverticulum besides providing superb detail of periurethral anatomy. The critical clinical question was answered.     

Magnetic moment oscillation in ammonium perchlorate in a DC SQUID-based magnetic resonance experiment

In this work we describe experimental results in which a DC SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) is used as free induction decay detector. Measurements of a solid ammonium perchlorate (NH₄ClO₄) sample were performed, in zero field, at 4.2 K. Unexpected magnetic moment oscillations were detected at 1.5 kHz. The computation of the magnetic fields suggests that the proton nuclear magnetic resonance may explain the measured resonance, considering reorientation of the ammonium group by quantum tunneling of protons and a magnetic proton dipole–dipole intermolecular interaction model.     

Application of FT-based MMSE deconvolution method for cerebral blood flow measurement in patients with leukoaraiosis

Introduction

The bolus-tracking (BT) technique is the most popular perfusion-weighted (PW) dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI method used for estimating cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume and mean transit time. The BT technique uses a convolution model that establishes the input–output relationship between blood flow and the vascular tracer concentration. Singular value decomposition (SVD)- and Fourier transform (FT)-based deconvolution methods are popular and widely used for estimating PW MRI parameters. However, from the published literature, it appears that SVD is more widely accepted than other methods. In a previous article, an FT-based minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) technique was proposed and simulation experiments were performed to compare it with the well-established circular SVD (oSVD) method. In this study, the FT-based MMSE method has been used to estimate relative CBF (rCBF) in 13 patients with white matter lesions (WMLs) (leukoaraiosis), and results are compared with the widely used oSVD method.

Materials and Methods

Thirteen patients with leukoaraiosis were imaged on a 1.5-T Siemens whole-body scanner. After acquiring the localizer and structural scans consisting of FLAIR (fluid attenuated with inversion recovery), T₁-weighted and T₂-weighted images, perfusion study was implemented as part of the MRI protocol. For each patient and method, two values were calculated: (a) rCBF for normal white matter (NWM) ROI, obtained by dividing the average CBF value in NWM ROI with average CBF in gray matter (GM) ROI, and (b) rCBF for WML ROI, obtained by dividing the average CBF value in WML ROI with average CBF in GM ROI. Results for the two deconvolution methods were computed.

Results and Discussion

A significant (P<.05) decrease in estimated rCBF was observed in the WML in all the patients using the MMSE method, while for the oSVD method, the decrease was observed in all but one patient. Initial results suggest that the MMSE method is comparable to the oSVD method for estimating rCBF in NMW while it may be better than oSVD for estimating rCBF in lesions of low flow. Studies involving a larger patient population may be required to further validate the findings of this work.     

Magnetic resonance imaging and pulsed Doppler sonography of poststenotic jets: Correlation between signal void and flow velocity distribution

To correlate the appearance of poststenotic jets on gradient echo images with features of localized Doppler spectra of the jets, we studied an in vitro model of steady flow-through stenoses of 86, 96, and 99% area reduction. As fluids, water and a 40% glycerol solution in water were used. MRI was performed with a 1.5 T whole body imager and gradient echo images were obtained in planes parallel to the direction of flow. Doppler spectra were acquired separately from the MR measurements at 1 cm intervals for a distance of 10 cm downstream from the stenosis. Poststenotic signal void was observed for water and for the 40% glycerol solution only if the mean velocity within the stenosis exceeded a limit of 50–60 cm/sec. On the MR images, the jets could be divided into two segments: A proximal jet segment of uniform width equal to the diameter of the stenosis, followed by a distal jet segment which was characterized by broadening and then dissipating signal void. Except for the 99% stenosis, a high signal intensity core was present within the proximal jet segment. In the proximal jet segment, the Doppler measurements showed a low temporal fluctuation of the maximal flow velocity and only little flow opposite to the main flow direction. In the distal jet segment, the velocity fluctuation and the intensity of reverse flow increased sharply. The high signal intensity core of the jet was associated with a poststenotic zone of constant maximal flow velocity. The results demonstrate a close relationship between characteristic features of poststenotic jets in MRI and pulsed Doppler sonography.