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Yang H, Wang G, Li Z, Li H, Zheng J, Hu Y, Cao X, Liao C, Ye H, Tian Q. Artificial intelligence for neuro MRI acquisition: a review. MAGMA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 37:383-396. [PMID: 38922525 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-024-01182-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECT To review recent advances of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the efficiency and throughput of the MRI acquisition workflow in neuroimaging, including planning, sequence design, and correction of acquisition artifacts. MATERIALS AND METHODS A comprehensive analysis was conducted on recent AI-based methods in neuro MRI acquisition. The study focused on key technological advances, their impact on clinical practice, and potential risks associated with these methods. RESULTS The findings indicate that AI-based algorithms have a substantial positive impact on the MRI acquisition process, improving both efficiency and throughput. Specific algorithms were identified as particularly effective in optimizing acquisition steps, with reported improvements in workflow efficiency. DISCUSSION The review highlights the transformative potential of AI in neuro MRI acquisition, emphasizing the technological advances and clinical benefits. However, it also discusses potential risks and challenges, suggesting areas for future research to mitigate these concerns and further enhance AI integration in MRI acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjia Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Guanhua Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ziyu Li
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Haoxiang Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jialan Zheng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Hu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiaozhi Cao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Congyu Liao
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Huihui Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiyuan Tian
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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2
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Kazemivalipour E, Wald LL, Guerin B. Comparison of tight-fitting 7T parallel-transmit head array designs using excitation uniformity and local specific absorption rate metrics. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:1209-1224. [PMID: 37927216 PMCID: PMC10848211 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We model the performance of parallel transmission (pTx) arrays with 8, 16, 24, and 32 channels and varying loop sizes built on a close-fitting helmet for brain imaging at 7 T and compare their local specific absorption rate (SAR) and flip-angle performances to that of birdcage coil (used as a baseline) and cylindrical 8-channel and 16-channel pTx coils (single-row and dual-row). METHODS We use the co-simulation approach along with MATLAB scripting for batch-mode simulation of the coils. For each coil, we extracted B1 + maps and SAR matrices, which we compressed using the virtual observation points algorithm, and designed slice-selective RF shimming pTx pulses with multiple local SAR and peak power constraints to generate L-curves in the transverse, coronal, and sagittal orientations. RESULTS Helmet designs outperformed cylindrical pTx arrays at a constant number of channels in the flip-angle uniformity at a constant local SAR metric: up to 29% for 8-channel arrays, and up to 34% for 16-channel arrays, depending on the slice orientation. For all helmet arrays, increasing the loop diameter led to better local SAR versus flip-angle uniformity tradeoffs, although this effect was more pronounced for the 8-channel and 16-channel systems than the 24-channel and 32-channel systems, as the former have more limited degrees of freedom and therefore benefit more from loop-size optimization. CONCLUSION Helmet pTx arrays significantly outperformed cylindrical arrays with the same number of channels in local SAR and flip-angle uniformity metrics. This improvement was especially pronounced for non-transverse slice excitations. Loop diameter optimization for helmets appears to favor large loops, compatible with nearest-neighbor decoupling by overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Kazemivalipour
- A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lawrence L. Wald
- A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bastien Guerin
- A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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3
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Williams SN, McElhinney P, Gunamony S. Ultra-high field MRI: parallel-transmit arrays and RF pulse design. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68. [PMID: 36410046 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aca4b7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews the field of multiple or parallel radiofrequency (RF) transmission for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently the use of ultra-high field (UHF) MRI at 7 tesla and above is gaining popularity, yet faces challenges with non-uniformity of the RF field and higher RF power deposition. Since its introduction in the early 2000s, parallel transmission (pTx) has been recognized as a powerful tool for accelerating spatially selective RF pulses and combating the challenges associated with RF inhomogeneity at UHF. We provide a survey of the types of dedicated RF coils used commonly for pTx and the important modeling of the coil behavior by electromagnetic (EM) field simulations. We also discuss the additional safety considerations involved with pTx such as the specific absorption rate (SAR) and how to manage them. We then describe the application of pTx with RF pulse design, including a practical guide to popular methods. Finally, we conclude with a description of the current and future prospects for pTx, particularly its potential for routine clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney N Williams
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McElhinney
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Shajan Gunamony
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.,MR CoilTech Limited, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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4
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Meloche R, Vučković I, Mishra PK, Macura S. Transverse relaxation in fixed tissue: Influence of temperature and resolution on image contrast in magnetic resonance microscopy. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4747. [PMID: 35467776 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To describe transverse relaxation of water in fixed tissue, we propose a model of transverse relaxation accelerated by diffusion and exchange (TRADE) that assumes exchange between free (visible) and bound (invisible) water, which relax by the dipole-dipole interaction, chemical exchange, and translation in the field gradient. Depending on the prevailing mechanism, transverse relaxation time (T2 ) of water in fixed tissue could increase (when dipole-dipole interaction prevails) or decrease with temperature (when diffusion in the field gradient prevails). Chemical exchange can make T2 even temperature independent. Also, variation of resolution from 100 to 15 μm/pxl (or less) affects effective transverse relaxation. T2 steadily decreases with increased resolution ( T 2 ∝ ∆ x 2 , ∆ x is the read direction resolution). TRADE can describe all of these observations (semi)quantitatively. The model has been experimentally verified on water phantoms and on formalin-fixed zebrafish, mouse brain, and rabbit larynx tissues. TRADE could help predict optimal scanning parameters for high-resolution MRM from much faster measurements at lower resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Meloche
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ivan Vučković
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Slobodan Macura
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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5
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Geldschläger O, Bosch D, Henning A. OTUP workflow: target specific optimization of the transmit k-space trajectory for flexible universal parallel transmit RF pulse design. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4728. [PMID: 35297104 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To optimize transmit k-space trajectories for a wide range of excitation targets and to design "universal pTx RF pulses" based on these trajectories. METHODS Transmit k-space trajectories (stack of spirals and SPINS) were optimized to best match different excitation targets using the parameters of the analytical equations of spirals and SPINS. The performances of RF pulses designed based on optimized and non-optimized trajectories were compared. The optimized trajectories were utilized for universal pulse design. The universal pulse performances were compared with subject specific tailored pulse performances. The OTUP workflow (optimization of transmit k-space trajectories and universal pulse calculation) was tested on three test target excitation patterns. For one target (local excitation of a central area in the human brain) the pulses were tested in vivo at 9.4 T. RESULTS The workflow produced appropriate transmit k-space trajectories for each test target. Utilization of an optimized trajectory was crucial for the pulse performance. Using unsuited trajectories diminished the performance. It was possible to create target specific universal pulses. However, not every test target is equally well suited for universal pulse design. There was no significant difference in the in vivo performance between subject specific tailored pulses and a universal pulse at 9.4 T. CONCLUSIONS The proposed workflow further exploited and improved the universal pulse concept by combining it with gradient trajectory optimization for stack of spirals and SPINS. It emphasized the importance of a well suited trajectory for pTx RF pulse design. Universal and tailored pulses performed with a sufficient degree of similarity in simulations and a high degree of similarity in vivo. The implemented OTUP workflow and the B0 /B1+ map data from 18 subjects measured at 9.4 T are available as open source (https://github.com/ole1965/workflow_OTUP.git).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Geldschläger
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Bosch
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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6
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Zhang M, Arango N, Stockmann JP, White J, Adalsteinsson E. Selective RF excitation designs enabled by time-varying spatially non-linear ΔB 0 fields with applications in fetal MRI. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:2161-2177. [PMID: 34931714 PMCID: PMC8847339 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To demonstrate, through numerical simulations, novel designs of spatially selective radiofrequency (RF) excitations of the fetal brain by both a restricted 2D slice and 3D inner-volume selection. These designs exploit a single-channel RF pulse, conventional gradient fields, and the spatially non-linear ΔB0 fields of a multi-coil shim array, using an auto-differentiation optimization algorithm. METHODS The design algorithm jointly optimizes the RF pulse and the time-varying ΔB0 fields, which is produced by a 64-channel multi-coil ΔB0 body array to augment the RF and the linear gradient fields, using an auto-differentiation approach. Two design targets were specified, one a 4-mm thick slice with a limited in-slice extent in one dimension ("restricted slice"), and the other a 3D inner-volume selection encompassing the fetal brain ("inner volume"). The RF duration was limited to 2 ms for the restricted slice excitation and 6 ms for the inner-volume excitation. RESULTS Excitation profiles were achieved for both the restricted slice excitation task (one-minus-minimum magnitude, 8%) within the region of interest (ROI) and (maximum-minus-zero magnitude, 8%) in the suppressed regions and the fetal brain volume excitation task (13% and 9%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The proposed joint design of RF and time-varying, spatially non-linear ΔB0 fields achieves the target excitation profiles with short RF pulse durations and demonstrates the potential to enhance fetal MRI with multi-channel body shim arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molin Zhang
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicolas Arango
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jason P Stockmann
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacob White
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elfar Adalsteinsson
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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He X, Auerbach EJ, Garwood M, Kobayashi N, Wu X, Metzger GJ. Parallel transmit optimized 3D composite adiabatic spectral-spatial pulse for spectroscopy. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:17-32. [PMID: 33497006 PMCID: PMC8545499 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a 3D composite adiabatic spectral-spatial pulse for refocusing in spin-echo spectroscopy acquisitions and to compare its performance against standard acquisition methods. METHODS A 3D composite adiabatic pulse was designed by modulating a train of parallel transmit-optimized 2D subpulses with an adiabatic envelope. The spatial and spectral profiles were simulated and validated by experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of the design in both single and double spin-echo spectroscopy acquisitions. Phantom and in vivo studies were performed to evaluate the pulse performance and compared with semi-LASER with respect to localization performance, sequence timing, signal suppression, and specific absorption rate. RESULTS Simultaneous 2D spatial localization with water and lipid suppression was achieved with the designed refocusing pulse, allowing high-quality spectra to be acquired with shorter minimum TE/TR, reduced SAR, as well as adaptation to spatially varying B0 and B 1 + field inhomogeneities in both prostate and brain studies. CONCLUSION The proposed composite pulse can serve as a more SAR efficient alternative to conventional localization methods such as semi-LASER at ultrahigh field for spin echo-based spectroscopy studies. Subpulse parallel-transmit optimization provides the flexibility to manage the tradeoff among multiple design criteria to accommodate different field strengths and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan He
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Edward J. Auerbach
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Michael Garwood
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Naoharu Kobayashi
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | - Gregory J. Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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8
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Geldschläger O, Bosch D, Glaser S, Henning A. Local excitation universal parallel transmit pulses at 9.4T. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:2589-2603. [PMID: 34180089 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To demonstrate that the concept of "universal pTx pulses" is applicable to local excitation applications. METHODS A database of B0 / B 1 + maps from eight different subjects was acquired at 9.4T. Based on these maps, universal pulses that aim at local excitation of the visual cortex area in the human brain (with a flip angle of 90° or 7°) were calculated. The remaining brain regions should not experience any excitation. The pulses were designed with an extension of the "spatial domain method." A 2D and a 3D target excitation pattern were tested, respectively. The pulse performance was examined on non-database subjects by Bloch simulations and in vivo at 9.4T using a GRE anatomical MRI and a presaturated TurboFLASH B 1 + mapping sequence. RESULTS The calculated universal pulses show excellent performance in simulations and in vivo on subjects that were not contained in the design database. The visual cortex region is excited, while the desired non-excitation areas produce the only minimal signal. In simulations, the pulses with 3D target pattern show a lack of excitation uniformity in the visual cortex region; however, in vivo, this inhomogeneity can be deemed acceptable. A reduced field of view application of the universal pulse design concept was performed successfully. CONCLUSIONS The proposed design approach creates universal local excitation pulses for a flip angle of 7° and 90°, respectively. Providing universal pTx pulses for local excitation applications prospectively abandons the need for time-consuming subject-specific B0 / B 1 + mapping and pTx-pulse calculation during the scan session.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Geldschläger
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Bosch
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Glaser
- Department for Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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9
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Vinding MS, Aigner CS, Schmitter S, Lund TE. DeepControl: 2DRF pulses facilitating B 1 + inhomogeneity and B 0 off-resonance compensation in vivo at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2021; 85:3308-3317. [PMID: 33480029 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Rapid 2DRF pulse design with subject-specific B 1 + inhomogeneity and B0 off-resonance compensation at 7 T predicted from convolutional neural networks is presented. METHODS The convolution neural network was trained on half a million single-channel transmit 2DRF pulses optimized with an optimal control method using artificial 2D targets, B 1 + and B0 maps. Predicted pulses were tested in a phantom and in vivo at 7 T with measured B 1 + and B0 maps from a high-resolution gradient echo sequence. RESULTS Pulse prediction by the trained convolutional neural network was done on the fly during the MR session in approximately 9 ms for multiple hand-drawn regions of interest and the measured B 1 + and B0 maps. Compensation of B 1 + inhomogeneity and B0 off-resonances has been confirmed in the phantom and in vivo experiments. The reconstructed image data agree well with the simulations using the acquired B 1 + and B0 maps, and the 2DRF pulse predicted by the convolutional neural networks is as good as the conventional RF pulse obtained by optimal control. CONCLUSION The proposed convolutional neural network-based 2DRF pulse design method predicts 2DRF pulses with an excellent excitation pattern and compensated B 1 + and B0 variations at 7 T. The rapid 2DRF pulse prediction (9 ms) enables subject-specific high-quality 2DRF pulses without the need to run lengthy optimizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads Sloth Vinding
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | | | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Torben Ellegaard Lund
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
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10
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Mullen M, Gutierrez A, Kobayashi N, Haupt J, Garwood M. Accelerated imaging with segmented 2D pulses using parallel imaging and virtual coils. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2019; 305:185-194. [PMID: 31302513 PMCID: PMC6711164 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Large magnetic field inhomogeneity can be a significant cause of spatial flip-angle variation when using ordinary, limited-bandwidth RF pulses. Multidimensional RF pulses are particularly sensitive to inhomogeneity due to their extended pulse length, which decreases their bandwidth. Previously, it was shown that, by breaking a 2D pulse into multiple undersampled k-space segments, the excitation bandwidth can be increased at the expense of increased imaging time. The present study shows how this increased imaging time can be offset by undersampling acquisition k-space in a phase-encoded dimension that is in the direction of excitation segmentation. Data from each segment are viewed as originating from "virtual receive coils" rather than multiple physical coils. The undersampled data are reconstructed using parallel imaging techniques (e.g. as in GRAPPA). The method was tested in vivo with brain imaging at both 3 T and 4 T, and used in conjunction with a 32-channel head coil and conventional GRAPPA on the 3 T data. Relationships with existing techniques and future applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mullen
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Naoharu Kobayashi
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jarvis Haupt
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Michael Garwood
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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11
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Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been driven toward ultrahigh magnetic fields (UHF) in order to benefit from correspondingly higher signal-to-noise ratio and spectral resolution. Technological challenges associated with UHF, such as increased radiofrequency (RF) energy deposition and RF excitation inhomogeneity, limit realization of the full potential of these benefits. Parallel RF transmission (pTx) enables decreases in the inhomogeneity of RF excitations and in RF energy deposition by using multiple-transmit RF coils driven independently and operating simultaneously. pTx plays a fundamental role in UHF MRI by bringing the potential applications of UHF into reality. In this review article, we review the recent developments in pTx pulse design and RF safety in pTx. Simultaneous multislice imaging and inner volume imaging using pTx are reviewed with a focus on UHF applications. Emerging pTx design approaches using improved pTx design frameworks and calibrations are reviewed together with calibration-free approaches that remove the necessity of time-consuming calibrations necessary for successful pTx. Lastly, we focus on the safety of pTx that is improved by using intersubject variability analysis, proactively managing pTx and temperature-based pTx approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cem M. Deniz
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R) and Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
- RF Test Labs, LLC, New York, NY
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12
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Luo T, Noll DC, Fessler JA, Nielsen JF. A GRAPPA algorithm for arbitrary 2D/3D non-Cartesian sampling trajectories with rapid calibration. Magn Reson Med 2019; 82:1101-1112. [PMID: 31050011 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE GRAPPA is a popular reconstruction method for Cartesian parallel imaging, but is not easily extended to non-Cartesian sampling. We introduce a general and practical GRAPPA algorithm for arbitrary non-Cartesian imaging. METHODS We formulate a general GRAPPA reconstruction by associating a unique kernel with each unsampled k-space location with a distinct constellation, that is, local sampling pattern. We calibrate these generalized kernels using the Fourier transform phase shift property applied to fully gridded or separately acquired Cartesian Autocalibration signal (ACS) data. To handle the resulting large number of different kernels, we introduce a fast calibration algorithm based on nonuniform FFT (NUFFT) and adoption of circulant ACS boundary conditions. We applied our method to retrospectively under-sampled rotated stack-of-stars/spirals in vivo datasets, and to a prospectively under-sampled rotated stack-of-spirals functional MRI acquisition with a finger-tapping task. RESULTS We reconstructed all datasets without performing any trajectory-specific manual adaptation of the method. For the retrospectively under-sampled experiments, our method achieved image quality (i.e., error and g-factor maps) comparable to conjugate gradient SENSE (cg-SENSE) and SPIRiT. Functional activation maps obtained from our method were in good agreement with those obtained using cg-SENSE, but required a shorter total reconstruction time (for the whole time-series): 3 minutes (proposed) vs 15 minutes (cg-SENSE). CONCLUSIONS This paper introduces a general 3D non-Cartesian GRAPPA that is fast enough for practical use on today's computers. It is a direct generalization of original GRAPPA to non-Cartesian scenarios. The method should be particularly useful in dynamic imaging where a large number of frames are reconstructed from a single set of ACS data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianrui Luo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Douglas C Noll
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jeffrey A Fessler
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jon-Fredrik Nielsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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13
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Phase matched RF pulse design for imaging a reduced field of excitation with a fast TSE acquisition. Magn Reson Imaging 2018; 51:128-136. [PMID: 29747015 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A method is described to design parallel transmit (PTX) excitation pulses that are compatible with turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences, based on information available from conventional per-channel B1+ mapping. The excitation phase of PTX pulses that generate a reduced field of excitation (rFOX) is matched to the phase the quadrature mode of a PTX coil. This enables TSE imaging of a PTX-enabled rFOX excitation combined with standard nonselective refocusing pulses transmitted in the quadrature mode. In-vivo imaging experiments were performed at 7T using a dual channel parallel transmit head coil. In combination with simulations, the CPMG-required excitation phase was confirmed in TSE sequences with refocusing pulses of variable flip angle. Further experiments showed that the same rFOX was generated in TSE and gradient echo sequences, enabling high-resolution imaging with parallel imaging acceleration of the rFOX.
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14
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Wu W, Miller KL. Image formation in diffusion MRI: A review of recent technical developments. J Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 46:646-662. [PMID: 28194821 PMCID: PMC5574024 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.25664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a standard imaging tool in clinical neurology, and is becoming increasingly important for neuroscience studies due to its ability to depict complex neuroanatomy (eg, white matter connectivity). Single-shot echo-planar imaging is currently the predominant formation method for diffusion MRI, but suffers from blurring, distortion, and low spatial resolution. A number of methods have been proposed to address these limitations and improve diffusion MRI acquisition. Here, the recent technical developments for image formation in diffusion MRI are reviewed. We discuss three areas of advance in diffusion MRI: improving image fidelity, accelerating acquisition, and increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:646-662.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchuan Wu
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Karla L. Miller
- FMRIB Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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Vinding MS, Guérin B, Vosegaard T, Nielsen NC. Local SAR, global SAR, and power-constrained large-flip-angle pulses with optimal control and virtual observation points. Magn Reson Med 2017; 77:374-384. [PMID: 26715084 PMCID: PMC4929033 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To present a constrained optimal-control (OC) framework for designing large-flip-angle parallel-transmit (pTx) pulses satisfying hardware peak-power as well as regulatory local and global specific-absorption-rate (SAR) limits. The application is 2D and 3D spatial-selective 90° and 180° pulses. THEORY AND METHODS The OC gradient-ascent-pulse-engineering method with exact gradients and the limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno method is proposed. Local SAR is constrained by the virtual-observation-points method. Two numerical models facilitated the optimizations, a torso at 3 T and a head at 7 T, both in eight-channel pTx coils and acceleration-factors up to 4. RESULTS The proposed approach yielded excellent flip-angle distributions. Enforcing the local-SAR constraint, as opposed to peak power alone, reduced the local SAR 7 and 5-fold with the 2D torso excitation and inversion pulse, respectively. The root-mean-square errors of the magnetization profiles increased less than 5% with the acceleration factor of 4. CONCLUSION A local and global SAR, and peak-power constrained OC large-flip-angle pTx pulse design was presented, and numerically validated for 2D and 3D spatial-selective 90° and 180° pulses at 3 T and 7 T. Magn Reson Med 77:374-384, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mads S. Vinding
- Center of Insoluble Protein Structures (inSPIN), Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Bastien Guérin
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas Vosegaard
- Center of Insoluble Protein Structures (inSPIN), Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Niels Chr. Nielsen
- Center of Insoluble Protein Structures (inSPIN), Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Schulze M, Reimann K, Seeger A, Klose U, Ernemann U, Hauser TK. Improvement in imaging common temporal bone pathologies at 3 T MRI: small structures benefit from a small field of view. Clin Radiol 2016; 72:267.e1-267.e12. [PMID: 28034444 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2016.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
AIM To compare image quality and evaluate its clinical importance in common temporal bone pathologies of a pTX-SPACE (parallel transmit [pTX] three-dimensional turbo spin-echo with variable flip angle [SPACE]) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence improved for spatial resolution to a standard-SPACE sequence exhibiting the same scan time at 3 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-four patients were examined using a standard-SPACE and resolution improved pTX-SPACE sequence at 3 T MRI. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and image quality were assessed. Diseases investigated were vestibular schwannoma (VS), intralabyrinthine schwannoma (ILS), inner ear malformations, labyrinthitis, temporal bone fractures, and situation after VS resection. RESULTS Edge definition, intratumoural pattern, discrimination of VS from the modiolus and edge definition of ILS, separability from the spiral lamina, and detectability within cochlear turns were improved on the pTX-SPACE sequence. Detectability of malformations, post-traumatic changes, and discrimination of the cochlear and facial nerve after VS resection was improved on the pTX-SPACE sequence. In labyrinthitis, pTX-SPACE was not superior to standard-SPACE. The SNR and CNR were significantly reduced for pTX-SPACE. CONCLUSIONS pTX-SPACE significantly improves the detectability of temporal bone diseases, in particular, VS, ILS, and post-VS resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Schulze
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany.
| | - K Reimann
- University Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany
| | - A Seeger
- University Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany
| | - U Klose
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Magnetic Resonance Research Group, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany
| | - U Ernemann
- University Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany
| | - T K Hauser
- University Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany
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Farkash G, Dumez JN, Frydman L. Sculpting 3D spatial selectivity with pairs of 2D pulses: A comparison of methods. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2016; 273:9-18. [PMID: 27718460 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Enhancing the specificity of the spins' excitation can improve the capabilities of magnetic resonance. Exciting voxels with tailored 3D shapes reduces partial volume effects and enhances contrast, particularly in cases where cubic voxels or other simple geometries do not provide an optimal localization. Spatial excitation profiles of arbitrary shapes can be implemented using so-called multidimensional RF pulses, which are often limited in practice to 2D implementations owing to their sensitivity to field inhomogeneities. Recent work has shown the potential of spatio-temporally encoded (SPEN) pulses towards alleviating these constraints. In particular, 2D pulses operating in a so-called hybrid scheme where the "low-bandwidth" spatial dimension is sculpted by a SPEN strategy while an orthogonal axis is shaped by regular k-space encoding, have been shown resilient to chemical shift and B0 field inhomogeneities. In this work we explore the use of pairs of 2D pulses, with one of these addressing geometries in the x-y plane and the other in the x-z dimension, to sculpt complex 3D volumes in phantoms and in vivo. To overcome limitations caused by the RF discretization demanded by these 2D pulses, a number of "unfolding" techniques yielding images from the centerband RF excitation while deleting sideband contributions - even in cases where center- and side-bands severely overlap - were developed. Thus it was possible to increase the gradient strengths applied along the low bandwidth dimensions, significantly improving the robustness of this kind of 3D sculpting pulses. Comparisons against conventional pulses designed on the basis of pure k-space trajectories, are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil Farkash
- Chemical Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jean-Nicolas Dumez
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lucio Frydman
- Chemical Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.
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Davids M, Schad LR, Wald LL, Guérin B. Fast three-dimensional inner volume excitations using parallel transmission and optimized k-space trajectories. Magn Reson Med 2016; 76:1170-82. [PMID: 26527590 PMCID: PMC4854802 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To design short parallel transmission (pTx) pulses for excitation of arbitrary three-dimensional (3D) magnetization patterns. METHODS We propose a joint optimization of the pTx radiofrequency (RF) and gradient waveforms for excitation of arbitrary 3D magnetization patterns. Our optimization of the gradient waveforms is based on the parameterization of k-space trajectories (3D shells, stack-of-spirals, and cross) using a small number of shape parameters that are well-suited for optimization. The resulting trajectories are smooth and sample k-space efficiently with few turns while using the gradient system at maximum performance. Within each iteration of the k-space trajectory optimization, we solve a small tip angle least-squares RF pulse design problem. Our RF pulse optimization framework was evaluated both in Bloch simulations and experiments on a 7T scanner with eight transmit channels. RESULTS Using an optimized 3D cross (shells) trajectory, we were able to excite a cube shape (brain shape) with 3.4% (6.2%) normalized root-mean-square error in less than 5 ms using eight pTx channels and a clinical gradient system (Gmax = 40 mT/m, Smax = 150 T/m/s). This compared with 4.7% (41.2%) error for the unoptimized 3D cross (shells) trajectory. Incorporation of B0 robustness in the pulse design significantly altered the k-space trajectory solutions. CONCLUSION Our joint gradient and RF optimization approach yields excellent excitation of 3D cube and brain shapes in less than 5 ms, which can be used for reduced field of view imaging and fat suppression in spectroscopy by excitation of the brain only. Magn Reson Med 76:1170-1182, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Davids
- Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, BW, Germany.
- A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States.
| | - Lothar R Schad
- Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, BW, Germany
| | - Lawrence L Wald
- A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard-MIT, Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Bastien Guérin
- A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Padormo F, Beqiri A, Hajnal JV, Malik SJ. Parallel transmission for ultrahigh-field imaging. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2016; 29:1145-61. [PMID: 25989904 PMCID: PMC4995736 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The development of MRI systems operating at or above 7 T has provided researchers with a new window into the human body, yielding improved imaging speed, resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. In order to fully realise the potential of ultrahigh-field MRI, a range of technical hurdles must be overcome. The non-uniformity of the transmit field is one of such issues, as it leads to non-uniform images with spatially varying contrast. Parallel transmission (i.e. the use of multiple independent transmission channels) provides previously unavailable degrees of freedom that allow full spatial and temporal control of the radiofrequency (RF) fields. This review discusses the many ways in which these degrees of freedom can be used, ranging from making more uniform transmit fields to the design of subject-tailored RF pulses for both uniform excitation and spatial selection, and also the control of the specific absorption rate. © 2015 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Padormo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Arian Beqiri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Joseph V Hajnal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Shaihan J Malik
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
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Malik SJ, Hajnal JV. Phase relaxed localized excitation pulses for inner volume fast spin echo imaging. Magn Reson Med 2016; 76:848-61. [PMID: 26451691 PMCID: PMC4988531 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To design multidimensional spatially selective radiofrequency (RF) pulses for inner volume imaging (IVI) with three-dimensional (3D) fast spin echo (FSE) sequences. Enhanced background suppression is achieved by exploiting particular signal properties of FSE sequences. THEORY AND METHODS The CPMG condition dictates that echo amplitudes will rapidly decrease if a 90° phase difference between excitation and refocusing pulses is not present, and refocusing flip angles are not precisely 180°. This mechanism is proposed as a means for generating additional background suppression for spatially selective excitation, by biasing residual excitation errors toward violating the CPMG condition. 3D RF pulses were designed using this method with a 3D spherical spiral trajectory, under-sampled by factor 5.6 for an eight-channel PTx system, at 3 Tesla. RESULTS 3D-FSE IVI with pulse durations of approximately 12 ms was demonstrated in phantoms and for T2 -weighted brain imaging in vivo. Good image quality was obtained, with mean background suppression factors of 103 and 82 ± 6 in phantoms and in vivo, respectively. CONCLUSION Inner Volume Imaging with 3D-FSE has been demonstrated in vivo with tailored 3D-RF pulses. The proposed design methods are also applicable to 2D pulses. Magn Reson Med 76:848-861, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaihan J. Malik
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Division of Imaging Sciences, King's College LondonSt. Thomas' HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Joseph V. Hajnal
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Division of Imaging Sciences, King's College LondonSt. Thomas' HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
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Wu D, Zhang J. Recent Progress in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Embryonic and Neonatal Mouse Brain. Front Neuroanat 2016; 10:18. [PMID: 26973471 PMCID: PMC4776397 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2016.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The laboratory mouse has been widely used as a model system to investigate the genetic control mechanisms of mammalian brain development. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important tool to characterize changes in brain anatomy in mutant mouse strains and injury progression in mouse models of fetal and neonatal brain injury. Progress in the last decade has enabled us to acquire MRI data with increasing anatomical details from the embryonic and neonatal mouse brain. High-resolution ex vivo MRI, especially with advanced diffusion MRI methods, can visualize complex microstructural organizations in the developing mouse brain. In vivo MRI of the embryonic mouse brain, which is critical for tracking anatomical changes longitudinally, has become available. Applications of these techniques may lead to further insights into the complex and dynamic processes of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiangyang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimore, MD, USA; Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, USA
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Sun H, Fessler JA, Noll DC, Nielsen JF. Joint Design of Excitation k-Space Trajectory and RF Pulse for Small-Tip 3D Tailored Excitation in MRI. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2016; 35:468-79. [PMID: 26390450 PMCID: PMC4792784 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2015.2478880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new method for the joint design of k-space trajectory and RF pulse in 3D small-tip tailored excitation. Designing time-varying RF and gradient waveforms for a desired 3D target excitation pattern in MRI poses a non-linear, non-convex, constrained optimization problem with relatively large problem size that is difficult to solve directly. Existing joint pulse design approaches are therefore typically restricted to predefined trajectory types such as EPI or stack-of-spirals that intrinsically satisfy the gradient maximum and slew rate constraints and reduce the problem size (dimensionality) dramatically, but lead to suboptimal excitation accuracy for a given pulse duration. Here we use a 2nd-order B-spline basis that can be fitted to an arbitrary k-space trajectory, and allows the gradient constraints to be implemented efficiently. We show that this allows the joint optimization problem to be solved with quite general k-space trajectories. Starting from an arbitrary initial trajectory, we first approximate the trajectory using B-spline basis, and then optimize the corresponding coefficients. We evaluate our method in simulation using four different k-space initializations: stack-of-spirals, SPINS, KT-points, and a new method based on KT-points. In all cases, our approach leads to substantial improvement in excitation accuracy for a given pulse duration. We also validated our method for inner-volume excitation using phantom experiments. The computation is fast enough for online applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Sun
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Fessler
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Douglas C. Noll
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Jon-Fredrik Nielsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
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Islam H, Glover GH. Reduced field of view imaging using a static second-order gradient for functional MRI applications. Magn Reson Med 2016; 75:817-22. [PMID: 25809723 PMCID: PMC4583326 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Imaging using reduced FOV excitation allows higher resolution or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per scan time but often requires long radiofrequency pulses. The goal of this study was to improve a recent reduced field of view (FOV) method that uses a second-order shim gradient to decrease pulse length and evaluate its use in functional MRI (fMRI) applications. THEORY AND METHODS The method, which was initially limited to excite thin disc-shaped regions at the isocenter, was extended to excite thicker regions off the isocenter and produced accurate excitation profiles on a grid phantom. Visual stimulation fMRI scans were performed with full and reduced FOV. The resolution of the time series images and functional activation maps were assessed using the full-width half-maxima of the autocorrelation functions (FACFs) of the noise images and the activation map values, respectively. RESULTS The resolution was higher in the reduced FOV time series images (4.1% ± 3.7% FACF reduction, P < 0.02) and functional activation maps (3.1% ± 3.4% FACF reduction, P < 0.01), but the SNR was lower (by 26.5% ± 16.9%). However, for a few subjects, the targeted region could not be localized to the reduced FOV due to the low Z2 gradient strength. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that the proposed method is feasible, though it would benefit from a stronger gradient coil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haisam Islam
- Lucas Center, Departments of Bioengineering and Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Gary H Glover
- Lucas Center, Departments of Bioengineering and Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Sun H, Fessler JA, Noll DC, Nielsen JF. Rapid inner-volume imaging in the steady-state with 3D selective excitation and small-tip fast recovery imaging. Magn Reson Med 2015; 76:1217-23. [PMID: 26507586 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Develop a method for rapid three-dimensional inner-volume (IV), or reduced field-of-view, steady-state imaging. METHODS Tailored radiofrequency pulses for exciting a three-dimensional IV were designed using a recently proposed algorithm and used in three different sequences: spoiled gradient echo, balanced steady-state free precession, and "small-tip fast recovery" (STFR) which uses a "tip-up" RF pulse after the readout to fast recover spins to the longitudinal axis. The inner- and outer-volume (OV) steady-state signals were analyzed. To demonstrate the potential utility of the proposed method, segmented stack-of-spirals reduced field-of-view images in a volunteer were acquired. RESULTS For a given three-dimensional IV excitation pulse, STFR can achieve higher IV/OV signal ratio compared with spoiled gradient echo and balanced steady-state free precession. For spoiled gradient echo and balanced steady-state free precession, this ratio is significantly lower than that produced by a single IV excitation. For STFR, this ratio exceeds that produced by a single IV excitation, due to partial OV saturation produced by the nonspatially selective tip-up pulse. Reduced FOV STFR stack-of-spirals imaging with 2-fold under-sampling in both x-y and z is demonstrated. CONCLUSION STFR provides an effective mechanism for OV suppression in steady-state IV imaging. The recently proposed joint pulse design method can be used in the STFR sequence to achieve fast reduced field-of-view imaging. Magn Reson Med 76:1217-1223, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Sun
- Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Fessler
- Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Departments of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Douglas C Noll
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jon-Fredrik Nielsen
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
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Feasibility and evaluation of dual-source transmit 3D imaging of the orbits: Comparison to high-resolution conventional MRI at 3T. Eur J Radiol 2015; 84:1150-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 03/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Naganawa S. The Technical and Clinical Features of 3D-FLAIR in Neuroimaging. Magn Reson Med Sci 2015; 14:93-106. [PMID: 25833275 DOI: 10.2463/mrms.2014-0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In clinical MR neuroimaging, 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) with a variable-flip-angle turbo spin echo sequence is becoming popular. There are more than 100 reports regarding 3D-FLAIR in the PubMed database. In this article, the technical and clinical features of 3D-FLAIR for neuroimaging are reviewed and summarized. 3D-FLAIR allows thinner slices with multi-planar reformation capability, a higher flow sensitivity, high sensitivity to subtle T1 changes in fluid, images without cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflow artifacts, and a 3D dataset compatible with computer-aided analysis. In addition, 3D-FLAIR can be obtained within a clinically reasonable scan time. It is important for radiologists to be familiar with the features of 3D-FLAIR and to provide useful information for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Naganawa
- Department of Radiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
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Davids M, Ruttorf M, Zollner FG, Schad LR. Fast and robust design of time-optimal k-space trajectories in MRI. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2015; 34:564-577. [PMID: 25314699 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2014.2362681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Many applications in MRI such as accelerated receive and transmit sequences require the synthesis of nonuniform 3-D gradient trajectories. Several methods have been proposed to design these gradient trajectories in a time-optimal manner, subject to hardware specific gradient magnitude and slew rate constraints. In this work a novel method is derived that designs time-optimal trajectories, solely based on a set of arbitrarily chosen control points in k-space. In particular, no path constraint is required for the k-space trajectory. It is shown that the above problem can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem. The fact that the objective function is derived in an analytic manner allows for designing time-optimal 3-D gradient trajectories within only few seconds without any significant numerical instabilities. The utilization of the shape of the trajectory--serving as a degree of freedom--results in significantly accelerated trajectories compared to current standard methods. This is proven in an extensive evaluation of the proposed method and in comparison with what can be considered the current Gold Standard method. The proposed Gradient Basis Function method provides significant benefits over current standard methods in terms of the duration of the trajectory (in average 9.2% acceleration), computation time (acceleration by at least 25% up to factors of 100), and robustness (no significant numerical instabilities).
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Wu D, Lei J, Rosenzweig JM, Burd I, Zhang J. In utero localized diffusion MRI of the embryonic mouse brain microstructure and injury. J Magn Reson Imaging 2014; 42:717-28. [PMID: 25537944 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop an in vivo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) technique to study embryonic mouse brain structure and injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pregnant CD-1 mice were examined on embryonic day 17 on an 11.7T scanner. Spatially selective excitation pulses were used to achieve localized imaging of individual mouse brains, in combination with a 3D fast imaging sequence to acquire dMRI at 0.16-0.2 mm isotropic resolution. Subject motions were corrected by navigator echoes and image registration. Further acceleration was achieved by simultaneous imaging of two embryos in an interleaved fashion. We applied this technique to detect embryonic brain injury in a mouse model of intrauterine inflammation. RESULTS With the localized imaging technique, we achieved in utero high-resolution T2 -weighted and dMRI of the embryonic mouse brain for the first time. Early embryonic brain structures were delineated from diffusion tensor images, and major white matter tracts were reconstructed in 3D. Comparison with ex vivo data showed significant changes in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), but mostly unchanged fractional anisotropy. In the inflammation-affected embryonic brains, ADC in the cortical regions was reduced at 6 hours after the injury, potentially caused by cellular edema. CONCLUSION The feasibility of in utero dMRI of embryonic mouse brains was demonstrated. The technique is important for noninvasive monitoring of embryonic mouse brain microstructure and injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jun Lei
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason M Rosenzweig
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Irina Burd
- Integrated Research Center for Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jiangyang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Schmitter S, Wu X, Uğurbil K, Van de Moortele PF. Design of parallel transmission radiofrequency pulses robust against respiration in cardiac MRI at 7 Tesla. Magn Reson Med 2014; 74:1291-305. [PMID: 25411131 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Two-spoke parallel transmission (pTX) radiofrequency (RF) pulses have been demonstrated in cardiac MRI at 7T. However, current pulse designs rely on a single set of B1(+)/B0 maps that may not be valid for subsequent scans acquired at another phase of the respiration cycle because of organ displacement. Such mismatches may yield severe excitation profile degradation. METHODS B1(+)/B0 maps were obtained, using 16 transmit channels at 7T, at three breath-hold positions: exhale, half-inhale, and inhale. Standard and robust RF pulses were designed using maps obtained at exhale only, and at multiple respiratory positions, respectively. Excitation patterns were analyzed for all positions using Bloch simulations. Flip-angle homogeneity was compared in vivo in cardiac CINE acquisitions. RESULTS Standard one- and two-spoke pTX RF pulses are sensitive to breath-hold position, primarily due to B1(+) alterations, with high dependency on excitation trajectory for two spokes. In vivo excitation inhomogeneity varied from nRMSE = 8.2% (exhale) up to 32.5% (inhale) with the standard design; much more stable results were obtained with the robust design with nRMSE = 9.1% (exhale) and 10.6% (inhale). CONCLUSION A new pTX RF pulse design robust against respiration induced variations of B1(+)/B0 maps is demonstrated and is expected to have a positive impact on cardiac MRI in breath-hold, free-breathing, and real-time acquisitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schmitter
- University of Minnesota, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- University of Minnesota, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kâmil Uğurbil
- University of Minnesota, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Padormo F, Beqiri A, Malik SJ, Hajnal JV. PRIMO: Precise radiofrequency inference from multiple observations. Magn Reson Med 2014; 74:372-83. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Padormo
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering; The Rayne Institute; 3rd Floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital London UK SE1 7EH
| | - Arian Beqiri
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering; The Rayne Institute; 3rd Floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital London UK SE1 7EH
| | - Shaihan J. Malik
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering; The Rayne Institute; 3rd Floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital London UK SE1 7EH
| | - Joseph V. Hajnal
- King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering; The Rayne Institute; 3rd Floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital London UK SE1 7EH
- King's College London, Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering; The Rayne Institute; 3rd Floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital London SE1 7EH UK
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High spatial resolution in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of the human eye, orbit, nervus opticus and optic nerve sheath at 7.0 Tesla. Exp Eye Res 2014; 125:89-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2014.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Revised: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Ophthalmic Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7 T Using a 6-Channel Transceiver Radiofrequency Coil Array in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Intraocular Masses. Invest Radiol 2014; 49:260-70. [DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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33
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Finsterbusch J. Simultaneous functional MRI acquisition of distributed brain regions with high temporal resolution using a 2D-selective radiofrequency excitation. Magn Reson Med 2014; 73:683-91. [PMID: 24574142 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To perform simultaneous functional MRI of multiple, distributed brain regions at high temporal resolution using a 2D-selective radiofrequency (2DRF) excitation. METHODS A tailored 2DRF excitation is used to excite several, small regions-of-interest distributed in the brain. They are acquired in a single projection image with an appropriately chosen orientation such that the different regions-of-interest can be discriminated by their position in the projection plane. Thus, they are excited and acquired simultaneously with a temporal resolution comparable to that of a single-slice measurement. The feasibility of this approach for functional neuroimaging (in-plane resolution 2 × 2 mm(2) ) at high temporal resolution (80 ms) is demonstrated in healthy volunteers for regions-of-interest in the visual and motor system using checkerboard and finger tapping block-design paradigms. RESULTS Task-related brain activation could be observed in both the visual and the motor system simultaneously with a high temporal resolution. For an onset shift of 240 ms for half of the checkerboard, a delay of the hemodynamic response in the corresponding hemisphere of the visual cortex could be detected. CONCLUSION Limiting the excited magnetization to the desired target regions with a 2DRF excitation reduces the imaging sampling requirements which can improve the temporal resolution significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Neuroimage Nord, University Medical Centers Hamburg-Kiel-Lübeck, Germany
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Kraff O, Fischer A, Nagel AM, Mönninghoff C, Ladd ME. MRI at 7 Tesla and above: demonstrated and potential capabilities. J Magn Reson Imaging 2014; 41:13-33. [PMID: 24478137 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
With more than 40 installed MR systems worldwide operating at 7 Tesla or higher, ultra-high-field (UHF) imaging has been established as a platform for clinically oriented research in recent years. Along with technical developments that, in part, have also been successfully transferred to lower field strengths, MR imaging and spectroscopy at UHF have demonstrated capabilities and potentials for clinical diagnostics in a variety of studies. In terms of applications, this overview article focuses on already achieved advantages for in vivo imaging, i.e., in imaging the brain and joints of the musculoskeletal system, but also considers developments in body imaging, which is particularly challenging. Furthermore, new applications for clinical diagnostics such as X-nuclei imaging and spectroscopy, which only really become feasible at ultra-high magnetic fields, will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Kraff
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Wu D, Reisinger D, Xu J, Fatemi SA, van Zijl PCM, Mori S, Zhang J. Localized diffusion magnetic resonance micro-imaging of the live mouse brain. Neuroimage 2014; 91:12-20. [PMID: 24440780 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High-resolution diffusion MRI (dMRI) is useful for resolving complex microstructures in the mouse brain, but technically challenging for in vivo studies due to the long scan time. In this study, selective excitation and a three-dimensional fast imaging sequence were used to achieve in vivo high-resolution dMRI of the mouse brain at 11.7Tesla. By reducing the field of view using spatially selective radio frequency pulses, we were able to focus on targeted brain structures and acquire high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) data at an isotropic resolution of 0.1mm and 30 diffusion encoding directions in approximately 1h. We investigated the complex tissue microstructures of the mouse hippocampus, cerebellum, and several cortical areas using this localized dMRI approach, and compared the results with histological sections stained with several axonal and dendritic markers. In the mouse visual cortex, the results showed predominately radially arranged structures in an outer layer and tangentially arranged structures in an inner layer, similar to observations from postmortem human brain specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dominik Reisinger
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiadi Xu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - S Ali Fatemi
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susumu Mori
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiangyang Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Darji N, Patel G, Speck O. Gain of Imaging Fidelity by Employing a Higher Number of Independent Transmit Channels Together with Slice-Selective Radio-Frequency (RF) Shimming at 7T. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2013; 7:30-43. [PMID: 28788438 PMCID: PMC5453143 DOI: 10.3390/ma7010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Dielectric resonance effects and radio-frequency (RF) power deposition have become challenging issues for magnetic resonance imaging at ultrahigh-field (UHF) strengths. The use of transmit (Tx) coil arrays with independently-driven RF sources using a parallel transmission system is a promising method for alleviating the resulting RF inhomogeneities. In this study, the effect on homogeneity and RF-power when employing a higher number of transmit channels with multi-slice acquisition in vivo at high field strength (7T) is scrutinized. An 8-channel head coil array was driven to emulate circular polarized (CP) and 2-, 4-, and 8-channel independent transmit configurations at 7T. Static RF shimming was employed on human subjects in order to homogenize the B₁⁺ field in the excited volume. Slice-selective and global RF shimming methods were applied with CP and 2-, 4-, and 8-channel transmit channel configurations. RF shimming was performed from CP to 2-, 4-, and 8-channel Tx configurations globally and slice-selectively. Systematic improvement in B₁⁺ homogeneity and/or reduction in RF-power were observed. RF shimming in the human brain with 8-channel transmit and slice-selective shimming yields an increase in B₁⁺ homogeneity of 43% and/or reduces RF-power by 68% when compared with CP global RF shimming at 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niravkumar Darji
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
| | - Gopesh Patel
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
| | - Oliver Speck
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), site Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg 39118, Germany.
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Schneider R, Ritter D, Haueisen J, Pfeuffer J. B0-informed variable density trajectory design for enhanced correction of off-resonance effects in parallel transmission. Magn Reson Med 2013; 71:1381-93. [PMID: 23716347 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.24780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Revised: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To improve B1 and B0 inhomogeneity mitigation performance of spatially selective radio-frequency (RF) pulses in parallel transmission while decreasing RF pulse power. Further enhancement of off-resonance correction for rectilinear spoke-trajectory-based RF pulses with known residual geometric distortions after optimization. METHODS The appropriate definition of the target magnetization pattern is discussed regarding the maximum physical excitation resolution. Furthermore, a novel variable-density trajectory design is introduced, which subsamples accrued B0 phase error elevations in k-space. A simulation study (echo-planar and spiral 2DRF) at different off-resonance levels and pulse acceleration factors was pursued using data from a whole-body 2-channel parallel transmit 3T MRI system. The new trajectory design for echo-planar 2DRF was validated in human in-vivo experiments. RESULTS Proper target pattern definition can require spatial filtering, such that RF pulse optimization is prevented from lower excitation performance with significant higher RF power level. The new trajectory design proposed can considerably improve off-resonance compensation, while further reducing the RF power, e.g., 43% less RMSE with 79% less RF power for spoke based pulses. CONCLUSION The proposed methods offer significant improvements of the excitation performance (homogeneity and acceleration), while significantly decreasing the RF power. Furthermore, single-channel transmit RF pulse performance can be similarly improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Schneider
- MR Application Development, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany; Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany
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Haas M, Ullmann P, Schneider JT, Post H, Ruhm W, Hennig J, Zaitsev M. PexLoc-Parallel excitation using local encoding magnetic fields with nonlinear and nonbijective spatial profiles. Magn Reson Med 2012. [PMID: 23203228 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.24559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
With the recent proposal of using magnetic fields that are nonlinear by design for spatial encoding, new flexibility has been introduced to MR imaging. The new degrees of freedom in shaping the spatially encoding magnetic fields (SEMs) can be used to locally adapt the imaging resolution to features of the imaged object, e.g., anatomical structures, to reduce peripheral nerve stimulation during in vivo experiments or to increase the gradient switching speed by reducing the inductance of the coils producing the SEMs and thus accelerate the imaging process. In this work, the potential of nonlinear and nonbijective SEMs for spatial encoding during transmission in multidimensional spatially selective excitation is explored. Methods for multidimensional spatially selective excitation radiofrequency pulse design based on nonlinear encoding fields are introduced, and it is shown how encoding ambiguities can be resolved using parallel transmission. In simulations and phantom experiments, the feasibility of selective excitation using nonlinear, nonbijective SEMs is demonstrated, and it is shown that the spatial resolution with which the target distribution of the transverse magnetization can be realized varies locally. Thus, the resolution of the target pattern can be increased in some regions compared with conventional linear encoding. Furthermore, experimental proof of principle of accelerated two-dimensional spatially selective excitation using nonlinear SEMs is provided in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Haas
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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