Real time monitoring of laser-induced thermal changes in cartilage in vitro by using snapshot FLASH

Towards MRI temperature mapping in real time-the proton resonance frequency method with undersampled radial MRI and nonlinear inverse reconstruction

BACKGROUND

Optimal control of minimally invasive interventions by hyperthermia requires dynamic temperature mapping at high temporal resolution.

METHODS

Based on the temperature-dependent shift of the proton resonance frequency (PRF), this work developed a method for real-time MRI thermometry which relies on highly undersampled radial FLASH MRI sequences with iterative image reconstruction by regularized nonlinear inversion (NLINV). As a first step, the method was validated with use of a temperature phantom and ex vivo organs (swine kidney) subjected to heating by warm water or a pulsed laser source.

RESULTS

The temperature maps obtained by real-time PRF MRI demonstrate good accuracy as independently controlled by fiber-optic temperature sensors. Moreover, the dynamic results demonstrate both excellent sensitivity to single laser pulses (20 ms duration, 6 J energy output) and high temporal resolution, i.e., 200 ms acquisition times per temperature map corresponding to a rate of 5 frames per second. In addition, future extensions to in vivo applications were prepared by addressing the breathing-related motion problem by a pre-recorded library of reference images representative of all respiratory states.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed method for real-time MRI thermometry now warrants further developments towards in vivo MRI monitoring of thermal interventions in animals.

Magnetic resonance imaging guidance for laser photothermal therapy

Temperature distribution is a crucial factor in determining the outcome of laser phototherapy in cancer treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an ideal method for 3-D noninvasive temperature measurement. A 7.1-T MRI was used to determine laser-induced high thermal gradient temperature distribution of target tissue with high spatial resolution. Using a proton density phase shift method, thermal mapping is validated for in vivo thermal measurement with light-absorbing enhancement dye. Tissue-simulating phantom gels, biological tissues, and tumor-bearing animals were used in the experiments. An 805-nm laser was used to irradiate the samples, with laser power in the range of 1 to 3 W. A clear temperature distribution matrix within the target and surrounding tissue was obtained with a specially developed processing algorithm. The temperature mapping showed that the selective laser photothermal effect could result in temperature elevation in a range of 10 to 45 degrees C. The temperature resolution of the measurement was about 0.37 degrees C with 0.4-mm spatial resolution. The results of this study provide in vivo thermal information and future reference for optimizing laser dosage and dye concentration in cancer treatment.

MRI thermometry in phantoms by use of the proton resonance frequency shift method: application to interstitial laser thermotherapy

In this work the temperature dependence of the proton resonance frequency was assessed in agarose gel with a high melting temperature (95 degrees C) and in porcine liver in vitro at temperatures relevant to thermotherapy (25-80 degrees C). Furthermore, an optically tissue-like agarose gel phantom was developed and evaluated for use in MRI. The phantom was used to visualize temperature distributions from a diffusing laser fibre by means of the proton resonance frequency shift method. An approximately linear relationship (0.0085 ppm degrees C(-1)) between proton resonance frequency shift and temperature change was found for agarose gel, whereas deviations from a linear relationship were observed for porcine liver. The optically tissue-like agarose gel allowed reliable MRI temperature monitoring, and the MR relaxation times (T1 and T2) and the optical properties were found to be independently alterable. Temperature distributions around a diffusing laser fibre, during irradiation and subsequent cooling, were assessed with high spatial resolution (voxel size = 4.3 mm3) and with random uncertainties ranging from 0.3 degrees C to 1.4 degrees C (1 SD) with a 40 s scan time.