Ultra-high field MRI for primate imaging using the travelling-wave concept

Object

Ultra-high field (UHF) neuroimaging is usually conducted with volume transmit (Tx) and phased array receive (Rx) coils, both tightly enclosing the object. The travelling-wave (TW) concept allows a remote excitation offering more flexible experimental setups. To investigate the feasibility of primate MRI in horizontal UHF MRI, we first compared the distribution of the electromagnetic fields in an oil phantom and then verified the concept with an in vivo experiment.

Materials and methods

In the phantom experiments an in-house circularly polarized hybrid birdcage coil and a self-developed patch antenna were used for Tx and an eight-element phased array antenna for Rx. B ₁ ⁺ fields were calculated and measured for both approaches. For in vivo experiments the Rx part was replaced with an optimized three-element phased array head coil. The SAR was calculated using field simulation.

Results

In the phantom the field distribution was homogenous in a central volume of interest of about 10 cm diameter. The TW concept showed a slightly better homogeneity. Examination of a female crab-eating macaque led to homogeneous high-contrast images with a good delineation of anatomical details.

Conclusion

The TW concept opens up a new approach for MRI of medium-sized animals in horizontal UHF scanners.     

Inverse halftoning using super‐resolution image processing

This paper focuses on the inverse halftoning problem, that is, the problem of reconstructing continuous‐tone images from halftone images of white and black pixels. In general, the problem does not have a unique solution, since halftoning is a many‐to‐one map from continuous‐tone images to binary ones. To this problem, we provide a simple and useful inverse halftoning method, composed of two steps. The first step is to generate several grayscale images from the original halftone image and low‐pass filters. The next step is to reconstruct a continuous‐tone image from the multiple grayscale images by using super‐resolution image processing. This method allows us to obtain good continuous‐tone images which are comparable to the results of the existing methods. The validity of the proposed method is demonstrated by several experiments. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Increasing the effective resolution of thermal infrared images

Thermal infrared (TIR) imaging is recognized as the most efficient technique for the study of skin temperature distribution. In specific diseases, characteristic changes can be measured from target anatomical sites. In this way, objective noninvasive investigations can be of diagnostic value. TIR imaging of the breast for breast cancer risk assessment is an example. Although TIR imaging possesses the advantages of being noninvasive, risk free, and considerably less expensive, it suffers the disadvantage of a lack of resolution due to blur compounded by rather high levels of noise. A maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) image restoration philosophy is proposed to solve this problem of resolution. The objective is three-fold: to increase the resolution of the measured image by using a type of 2:1 zooming; to remove the noise; and simultaneously to preserve the detail of features, including, in particular, the sharpness of edges     

Absolute quantification of perfusion using dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI: pitfalls and possibilities

Absolute quantification of cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume and mean transit time is desirable in the determination of tissue viability thresholds and tissue at risk in acute ischaemic stroke, as well as in cases where a global reduction in cerebral blood flow is expected, for example, in patients with dementia or depressive disorders. Absolute values are also useful when comparing sequential examinations of tissue perfusion parameters, for example, in the monitoring and follow-up of various kinds of therapy. Regardless of the method employed, a number of assumptions and approximations must be made to obtain absolute measures of perfusion. Furthermore, the different stages of data acquisition and processing are associated with various degrees of uncertainty. In this review, the problems of particular relevance to absolute quantification of cerebral perfusion parameters using dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging are discussed, and possible solutions are outlined.     

Super‐resolution image reconstruction using state information of a motorized head

This paper presents an integrated system designed to obtain a high‐resolution image via super‐resolution image reconstruction by using an observer of a motorized head under control. An advantage of this integration is that the constructed system can algebraically and systematically calculate the registration and motion blur identification, which is quite different from the way in which the conventional methods preprocess captured images. To illustrate the effectiveness of the presented system, some experimental results are provided. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

一种改进的理想滤波器方位模糊抑制方法

合成孔径雷达(SAR)图像的方位模糊问题是由于方位向欠采样引起的,其严重影响判读人员对SAR图像的解译.阐述了方位模糊的来源及其建模,进一步总结了利用理想滤波器进行方位模糊抑制的方法及其局限性,针对该方法的参数失配问题,从主像和模糊像在方位向和距离向上的偏移距离的角度出发,提出并明确分块处理大区域方位模糊抑制的思路及分...     

Quantitative effects of acquisition duration and temporal resolution on the measurement accuracy of prostate dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI data: a phantom study

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the temporal resolution (T _res) and acquisition duration (AD) on the measurement accuracy of contrast concentration–time curves (CTCs), and derived phenomenological and pharmacokinetic parameter values, in a dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI experiment using a novel phantom test device.

Materials and methods

‘Ground truth’ CTCs were established using a highly precise optical imaging system. These precisely known CTCs were produced in an anthropomorphic environment, which mimicked the male pelvic region, and presented to the MRI scanner for measurement. The T _res was varied in the range [2–24.4 s] and the AD in the range [30–600 s], and the effects on the measurement accuracy were quantified.

Results

For wash-in parameter measurements, large underestimation errors (up to 40%) were found using T _res values ≥16.3 s; however, the measured wash-out rate did not vary greatly across all T _res values tested. Errors in derived K ^trans and v _e values were below 14 and 12% for acquisitions with {T _res ≤ 8.1 s, AD ≥ 360 s} and {T _res ≤ 16.3 s, AD ≥ 360 s}, respectively, but increased dramatically outside these ranges.

Conclusions

Errors in measured wash-in, wash-out, K ^trans, and v _e parameters were minimised using T _res ≤ 8.1 s and AD ≥ 360 s, with large errors recorded outside of this range.

     

Repeatability of perfusion measurements in adult gliomas using pulsed and pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling MRI

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine - To investigate the repeatability of perfusion measures in gliomas using pulsed- and pseudo-continuous-arterial spin labelling (PASL,...     

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI using macromolecular contrast media for monitoring the response to isolated limb perfusion in experimental soft-tissue sarcomas

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for quantitative characterization of tumor microvessels and to assess the microvascular changes in response to isolated limb perfusion with TNF- and melphalan. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was performed in an experimental cancer model, using a macromolecular contrast medium, albumin-(Gd-DTPA)₄₅. Small fragments of BN 175, a soft-tissue sarcoma, were implanted in 11 brown Norway (BN) rats. Animals were assigned randomly to a control (Haemaccel) or drug-treated group (TNF-/melphalan). MRI was performed at baseline and 24 h after ILP. The transendothelial permeability (K^PS) and the fractional plasma volume (fPV) were estimated from the kinetic analysis of MR data using a two-compartment bi-directional model. K^PS and fPV decreased significantly in the drug-treated group compared to baseline (p<0.05). In addition, K^PS post therapy was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the drug-treated group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in fPV between the drug-treated and the control group after therapy. Tumor microvascular changes in response to isolated limb perfusion can be determined after 24 h by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. The data obtained in this experimental model suggest possible applications in the clinical setting, using the appropriate MR contrast agents.     

Reproducibility of continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI after 7 weeks

Background Continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) is a non-invasive technique for the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). The aim of the present study was to examine the reproducibility of CASL measurements and its suitability to consistently detect differences between groups, regions, and resting states. Materials and methods Thirty-eight healthy subjects (19 female) were examined at 1.5 T on two measurement occasions that were seven weeks apart. Resting CBF was measured with eyes open and eyes closed. Results In different regions of interest (ROIs) the repeatability estimates varied between 9 and 19 ml/100 g/min. There were no significant mean differences between occasions in all ROIs (P > 0.05). Greater CBF in the eyes-open than in the eyes-closed state was consistently present in the primary and secondary visual areas. Furthermore, CBF was consistently greater in the right than in the left hemisphere (P < 0.05) and differed between lobes and between arterial territories (P < 0.001). Finally, we consistently observed greater CBF in women than in men (P < 0.001). Conclusion This study demonstrates the suitability of CASL to consistently detect differences between groups, regions, and resting states even after seven weeks. This emphasizes its usefulness for longitudinal designs.     

High resolution imaging of the intracranial vessel wall at 3 and 7 T using 3D fast spin echo MRI

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine - High resolution MRI of the intracranial vessel wall provides important insights in the assessment of intracranial vascular disease....     

一种AAM模型的MRI医学图像分割算法

提出了一种主动外观模型的MRI医学图像分割的算法。针对主动外观模型中PCA方法对数据细节描述能力的不足,用ICA代替PCA同时进行形状和纹理模型建模,形成基于独立分量分析的改进型主动外观模型。并且在模型中引入了检测到的点与模型点之间的误差的约束项,并提出了平均长度约束项的概念,将它增加到模型中.通过对不同MRI医学图像的实验表明,改进的AAM模型分割的精度和效率都有较大程度的提高。     

A novel framework for evaluating the image accuracy of dynamic MRI and the application on accelerated breast DCE MRI

Objective

To develop a novel framework for evaluating the accuracy of quantitative analysis on dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI with a specific combination of imaging technique, scanning parameters, and scanner and software performance and to test this framework with breast DCE MRI with Time-resolved angiography WIth Stochastic Trajectories (TWIST).

Materials and methods

Realistic breast tumor phantoms were 3D printed as cavities and filled with solutions of MR contrast agent. Full k-space raw data of individual tumor phantoms and a uniform background phantom were acquired. DCE raw data were simulated by sorting the raw data according to TWIST view order and scaling the raw data according to the enhancement based on pharmaco-kinetic (PK) models. The measured spatial and temporal characteristics from the images reconstructed using the scanner software were compared with the original PK model (ground truth).

Results

Images could be reconstructed using the manufacturer’s platform with the modified ‘raw data.’ Compared with the ‘ground truth,’ the RMS error in all images was <10% in most cases. With increasing view-sharing acceleration, the error of the initial uptake slope decreased while the error of peak enhancement increased. Deviations of PK parameters varied with the type of enhancement.

Conclusion

A new framework has been developed and tested to more realistically evaluate the quantitative measurement errors caused by a combination of the imaging technique, parameters and scanner and software performance in DCE-MRI.

     

Influence of selecting EPI readout-encoding bandwidths on arterial spin labeling perfusion MRI

Object  

The objective of this study was to investigate effects of varying readout bandwidths on the arterial spin labeling (ASL)-perfusion MRI measurements at a high magnetic field MRI system.     

Influence of digital audio filters on image reconstruction in MRI

This paper deals with the influence of the transient response and group delay of digital filters on the MRI signal and its aspects in image reconstruction. The consequence of digital filtration on the acquired signal will be shown in the time domain (κ-space) for three basic imaging methods-echo scan, radial scan and spiral scan. The influence of the group delay and transient response of filters will be explained and a method will be proposed which compensates both these phenomena while retaining all the advantages of digital filtration. The proposed method is based on applying the principle of signal superposition and on using the consequences of the sampling principle. The method works in the time domain. It is very simple and rapid and does not depend on the properties of the acquired signal or reconstruction algorithm. It will be shown and explained in which cases the transient response can be neglected and in which it has to be compensated. In the end, the results of the proposed methods will be shown for mentioned cases on a simulated signal in the image domain. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.     

On the design of filters for fourier and oSVD-based deconvolution in bolus tracking perfusion MRI

Object  

Bolus tracking perfusion evaluation relies on the deconvolution of a tracers concentration time-courses in an arterial and a tissue voxel following the tracer kinetic model. The object of this work is to propose a method to design a data-driven Tikhonov regularization filter in the Fourier domain and to compare it to the singular value decomposition (SVD)–based approaches using the mathematical equivalence of Fourier and circular SVD (oSVD).     

用DSC研究环氧树脂的固化反应

本文用动态与等温DSC研究了环氧树脂—甲苯钠迪克酸酐—苯甲酸铅的固化反应动力学,方法较简便。动态法测得该反应为二级反应,活化能E为59.9kJ/mol,频率因子A为1.3×10~6;等温法测得E为62.4kJ/mol,A为1.2×10~5。     

Accelerated multi-contrast high isotropic resolution 3D intracranial vessel wall MRI using a tailored k-space undersampling and partially parallel reconstruction strategy

Objective

To develop a 3D multi-contrast IVW protocol with 0.5-mm isotropic resolution and a scan time of 5 min per sequence.

Materials and methods

Pre-contrast T1w VISTA, DANTE prepared PDw VISTA, SNAP, and post-contrast T1w VISTA were accelerated using cartesian undersampling with target ordering method (CUSTOM) and self-supporting tailored k-space estimation for parallel imaging reconstruction (STEP). CUSTOM + STEP IVW was compared to full-sample IVW, SENSE-accelerated IVW, and CUSTOM + zero-filled Fourier reconstruction in normal volunteers and subjects with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Image quality, vessel delineation, CSF suppression, and blood suppression were compared.

Results

CUSTOM + STEP vessel wall delineation was comparable to full-sample IVW and better than SENSE IVW for vessel wall delineation on T1w VISTA and luminal contrast on SNAP. Average image quality and wall depiction were significantly improved using STEP reconstruction compared with zero-filled Fourier reconstruction, with no significant difference in CSF or blood suppression.

Conclusions

CUSTOM + STEP allowed multi-contrast 3D 0.5-mm isotropic IVW within 30 min. Although some quantitative and qualitative scores for CUSTOM − STEP were lower than fully sampled IVW, CUSTOM + STEP provided comparable vessel wall delineation as full-sample IVW and was superior to SENSE. CUSTOM + STEP IVW was well tolerated by patients and showed good delineation of ICAD plaque.