1
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Jeong H, Andersson J, Hess A, Jezzard P. Effect of subject-specific head morphometry on specific absorption rate estimates in parallel-transmit MRI at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:2376-2390. [PMID: 36656151 PMCID: PMC10952207 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29589] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the accuracy of morphing an established reference electromagnetic head model to a subject-specific morphometry for the estimation of specific absorption rate (SAR) in 7T parallel-transmit (pTx) MRI. METHODS Synthetic T1 -weighted MR images were created from three high-resolution open-source electromagnetic head voxel models. The accuracy of morphing a "reference" (multimodal image-based detailed anatomical [MIDA]) electromagnetic model into a different subject's native space (Duke and Ella) was compared. Both linear and nonlinear registration methods were evaluated. Maximum 10-g averaged SAR was estimated for circularly polarized mode and for 5000 random RF shim sets in an eight-channel transmit head coil, and comparison made between the morphed MIDA electromagnetic models and the native Duke and Ella electromagnetic models, respectively. RESULTS The averaged error in maximum 10-g averaged SAR estimation across pTx MRI shim sets between the MIDA and the Duke target model was reduced from 17.5% with only rigid-body registration, to 11.8% when affine linear registration was used, and further reduced to 10.7% when nonlinear registration was used. The corresponding figures for the Ella model were 16.7%, 11.2%, and 10.1%. CONCLUSION We found that morphometry accounts for up to half of the subject-specific differences in pTx SAR. Both linear and nonlinear morphing of an electromagnetic model into a target subject improved SAR agreement by better matching head size, morphometry, and position. However, differences remained, likely arising from details in tissue composition estimation. Thus, the uncertainty of the head morphometry and tissue composition may need to be considered separately to achieve personalized SAR estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbae Jeong
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jesper Andersson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Aaron Hess
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Research ExcellenceOxfordUK
| | - Peter Jezzard
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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2
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Steensma BR, Sadeghi-Tarakameh A, Meliadò EF, van den Berg CAT, Klomp DWJ, Luijten PR, Metzger GJ, Eryaman Y, Raaijmakers AJE. Tier-based formalism for safety assessment of custom-built radio-frequency transmit coils. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4874. [PMID: 36368912 PMCID: PMC10411033 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to propose a tier-based formalism for safety assessment of custom-built radio-frequency (RF) coils that balances validation effort with the effort put in determinating the safety factor. The formalism has three tier levels. Higher tiers require increased effort when validating electromagnetic simulation results but allow for less conservative safety factors. In addition, we propose a new method to calculate modeling uncertainty between simulations and measurements and a new method to propagate uncertainties in the simulation into a safety factor that minimizes the risk of underestimating the peak specific absorption rate (SAR). The new safety assessment procedure was completed for all tier levels for an eight-channel dipole array for prostate imaging at 7 T and an eight-channel dipole array for head imaging at 10.5 T, using data from two different research sites. For the 7 T body array, the validation procedure resulted in a modeling uncertainty of 77% between measured and simulated local SAR distributions. For a situation where RF shimming is performed on the prostate, average power limits of 2.4 and 4.5 W/channel were found for tiers 2 and 3, respectively. When the worst-case peak SAR among all phase settings was calculated, power limits of 1.4 and 2.7 W/channel were found for tiers 2 and 3, respectively. For the 10.5 T head array, a modeling uncertainty of 21% was found based on B1 + mapping. For the tier 2 validation, a power limit of 2.6 W/channel was calculated. The demonstrated tier system provides a strategy for evaluating modeling inaccuracy, allowing for the rapid translation of novel coil designs with conservative safety factors and the implementation of less conservative safety factors for frequently used coil arrays at the expense of increased validation effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Romke Steensma
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ettore Flavio Meliadò
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Dennis W J Klomp
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter R Luijten
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yigitcan Eryaman
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alexander J E Raaijmakers
- Division of Imaging and Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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3
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Kikken MWI, Steensma BR, van den Berg CAT, Raaijmakers AJE. Multi-echo MR thermometry in the upper leg at 7 T using near-harmonic 2D reconstruction for initialization. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:2347-2360. [PMID: 36688273 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this work is the development of a thermometry method to measure temperature increases in vivo, with a precision and accuracy sufficient for validation against thermal simulations. Such an MR thermometry model would be a valuable tool to get an indication on one of the major safety concerns in MR imaging: the tissue heating occurring due to radiofrequency (RF) exposure. To prevent excessive temperature rise, RF power deposition, expressed as specific absorption rate, cannot exceed predefined thresholds. Using these thresholds, MRI has demonstrated an extensive history of safe usage. Nevertheless, MR thermometry would be a valuable tool to address some of the unmet needs in the area of RF safety assessment, such as validation of specific absorption rate and thermal simulations, investigation of local peak temperatures during scanning, or temperature-based safety guidelines. METHODS The harmonic initialized model-based multi-echo approach is proposed. The method combines a previously published model-based multi-echo water/fat separated approach with an also previously published near-harmonic 2D reconstruction method. The method is tested on the human thigh with a multi-transmit array at 7 T, in three volunteers, and for several RF shims. RESULTS Precision and accuracy are improved considerably compared to a previous fat-referenced method (precision: 0.09 vs. 0.19°C). Comparison of measured temperature rise distributions to subject-specific simulated counterparts show good relative agreement for multiple RF shim settings. CONCLUSION The high precision shows promising potential for validation purposes and other RF safety applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathijs W I Kikken
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bart R Steensma
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A T van den Berg
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander J E Raaijmakers
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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4
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Hardy BM, Banik R, Yan X, Anderson AW. Bench to bore ramifications of inter-subject head differences on RF shimming and specific absorption rates at 7T. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 92:187-196. [PMID: 35842192 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.07.009] [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: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study shows how inter-subject variation over a dataset of 72 head models results in specific absorption rate (SAR) and B1+ field homogeneity differences using common shim scenarios. METHODS MR-CT datasets were used to segment 71 head models into 10 tissue compartments. These head models were affixed to the shoulders and neck of the virtual family Duke model and placed within an 8 channel transmit surface-loop array to simulate the electromagnetic fields of a 7T imaging experiment. Radio frequency (RF) shimming using the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm and Circularly Polarized shim weights over the entire brain and select slices of each model was simulated. Various SAR metrics and B1+ maps were calculated to demonstrate the contribution of head variation to transmit inhomogeneity and SAR variability. RESULTS With varying head geometries the loading for each transmit loop changes as evidenced by changes in S-parameters. The varying shim conditions and head geometries are shown to affect excitation uniformity, spatial distributions of local SAR, and SAR averaging over different pulse sequences. The Gerchberg-Saxton RF shimming algorithm outperforms circularly polarized shimming for all head models. Peak local SAR within the coil most often occurs nearest the coil on the periphery of the body. Shim conditions vary the spatial distribution of SAR. CONCLUSION The work gives further support to the need for fast and more subject specific SAR calculations to maintain safety. Local SAR10g is shown to vary spatially given shim conditions, subject geometry and composition, and position within the coil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Hardy
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 6301 Stevenson Science Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Rana Banik
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, PMB 351631, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
| | - Xinqiang Yan
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Adam W Anderson
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, PMB 351631, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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5
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Abstract
After introduction of the first human 7 tesla (7T) system in 1999, 7T MR systems have been employed as one of the most advanced platforms for human MR research for more than 20 years. Currently, two 7T MR models are approved for clinical use in the U.S.A. The approval facilitated introduction of the 7T system, summing up to around 100 worldwide. The approval in Japan is much awaited. As a clinical MR scanner, the 7T MR system is drawing attention in terms of safety.Several large-sized studies on bioeffects have been reported for vertigo, dizziness, motion disturbances, nausea, and others. Such effects might also be found in MR workers and researchers. Frequency and severity of reported bioeffects will be presented and discussed, including their variances. The high resonance frequency and shorter RF wavelength of 7T increase the concern about the safety. Homogeneous RF pulse excitation is difficult even for the brain, and a multi-channel parallel transmit (pTx) system is considered mandatory. However, pTx may create a hot spot, which makes the estimation of specific absorption rate (SAR) to be difficult. The stronger magnetic field of 7T causes a large force of displacement and heating on metallic implants or devices, and the scan of patients with them should not be conducted at 7T. However, there are some opinions that such patients might be scanned even at 7T, if certain criteria are met. This article provides a brief review on the effect of the static magnetic field on humans (MR subjects, workers, and researchers) and neurons, in addition to scan sound, SAR, and metal implants and devices. Understanding and avoiding adverse effects will contribute to the reduction in safety risks and the prevention of incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohisa Okada
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | - Thai Akasaka
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | - Dinh Hd Thuy
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
| | - Tadashi Isa
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
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6
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Li X, Pan JW, Avdievich NI, Hetherington HP, Rispoli JV. Electromagnetic simulation of a 16-channel head transceiver at 7 T using circuit-spatial optimization. Magn Reson Med 2021; 85:3463-3478. [PMID: 33533500 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE With increased interest in parallel transmission in ultrahigh-field MRI, methods are needed to correctly calculate the S-parameters and complex field maps of the parallel transmission coil. We present S-parameters paired with spatial field optimization to fully simulate a double-row 16-element transceiver array for brain MRI at 7 T. METHODS We implemented a closed-form equation of the coil S-parameters and overall spatial B 1 + field. We minimized a cost function, consisting of coil S-parameters and the B 1 + homogeneity in brain tissue, by optimizing transceiver components, including matching, decoupling circuits, and lumped capacitors. With this, we are able to compare the in silico results determined with and without B 1 + homogeneity weighting. Using the known voltage range from the host console, we reconstructed the B 1 + maps of the array and performed RF shimming with four realistic head models. RESULTS As performed with B 1 + homogeneity weighting, the optimized coil circuit components were highly consistent over the four heads, producing well-tuned, matched, and decoupled coils. The mean peak forward powers and B 1 + statistics for the head models are consistent with in vivo human results (N = 8). There are systematic differences in the transceiver components as optimized with or without B 1 + homogeneity weighting, resulting in an improvement of 28.4 ± 7.5% in B 1 + homogeneity with a small 1.9 ± 1.5% decline in power efficiency. CONCLUSION This co-simulation methodology accurately simulates the transceiver, predicting consistent S-parameters, component values, and B 1 + field. The RF shimming of the calculated field maps match the in vivo performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Jullie W Pan
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nikolai I Avdievich
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hoby P Hetherington
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph V Rispoli
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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7
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Fagan AJ, Bitz AK, Björkman-Burtscher IM, Collins CM, Kimbrell V, Raaijmakers AJ. 7T MR Safety. J Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 53:333-346. [PMID: 32830900 PMCID: PMC8170917 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) at 7T represents an exciting advance in MR technology, with intriguing possibilities to enhance image spatial, spectral, and contrast resolution. To ensure the safe use of this technology while still harnessing its potential, clinical staff and researchers need to be cognizant of some safety concerns arising from the increased magnetic field strength and higher Larmor frequency. The higher static magnetic fields give rise to enhanced transient bioeffects and an increased risk of adverse incidents related to electrically conductive implants. Many technical challenges remain and the continuing rapid pace of development of 7T MRI/MRS is likely to present further challenges to ensuring safety of this technology in the years ahead. The recent regulatory clearance for clinical diagnostic imaging at 7T will likely increase the installed base of 7T systems, particularly in hospital environments with little prior ultrahigh-field MR experience. Informed risk/benefit analyses will be required, particularly where implant manufacturer-published 7T safety guidelines for implants are unavailable. On behalf of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the aim of this article is to provide a reference document to assist institutions developing local institutional policies and procedures that are specific to the safe operation of 7T MRI/MRS. Details of current 7T technology and the physics underpinning its functionality are reviewed, with the aim of supporting efforts to expand the use of 7T MRI/MRS in both research and clinical environments. Current gaps in knowledge are also identified, where additional research and development are required. Level of Evidence 5 Technical Efficacy 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2021;53:333-346.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Fagan
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andreas K. Bitz
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences, Aachen, Germany
| | - Isabella M. Björkman-Burtscher
- Department of Radiology, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher M. Collins
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Vera Kimbrell
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Jeong H, Restivo MC, Jezzard P, Hess AT. Assessment of radio-frequency heating of a parallel transmit coil in a phantom using multi-echo proton resonance frequency shift thermometry. Magn Reson Imaging 2020; 77:57-68. [PMID: 33359425 PMCID: PMC7889491 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We propose a workflow for validating parallel transmission (pTx) radio-frequency (RF) magnetic field heating patterns using Proton-Resonance Frequency shift (PRF)-based MR thermometry. Electromagnetic (EM) and thermal simulations of a 7 T 8-channel dipole coil were done using commercially available software (Sim4Life) to assess RF heating. The fabrication method for a phantom with electrical properties matched to human tissue is also described, along with methods for its electrical and thermal characterisation. Energy was deposited to specific transmit channels, whilst acquiring 3D PRF data using a pair of interleaved RF shim transmit modes. A multi-echo readout and pre-scan stabilisation protocol were used for increased sensitivity and to correct for measurement-to-measurement instabilities. The electrical properties of the phantom were found to be within 10% of the intended values. Adoption of a 14-min stabilisation scan gave sufficient suppression of any evolving background spatial variation in the B0 field to achieve <0.001 °C/mm thermometry drift over 10 min of subsequent scanning. Using two RF shim transmit modes enabled full phantom coverage and combining multiple echo times enabled a 13-54% improvement in the RMSE sensitivity to temperature changes. Combining multiple echoes reduced the peak RMSE by 45% and visually reduced measurement-to-measurement instabilities. A reference fibre optic probe showed temperature deviations from the PRF-estimated temperature to be smaller than 0.5 °C. Given the importance of RF safety in pTx applications, this workflow enables accurate validation of RF heating simulations with minimal additional hardware requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbae Jeong
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew C Restivo
- Laboratory of Imaging Technology, Biochemistry and Biophysics Centre, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Peter Jezzard
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron T Hess
- Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; British Heart Foundation Centre for Research Excellence, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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9
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Meliadò EF, Sbrizzi A, van den Berg CAT, Luijten PR, Raaijmakers AJE. Real-time assessment of potential peak local specific absorption rate value without phase monitoring: Trigonometric maximization method for worst-case local specific absorption rate determination. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:3420-3433. [PMID: 33350525 PMCID: PMC7986921 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Multi‐transmit MRI systems are typically equipped with dedicated hardware to sample the reflected/lost power in the transmit channels. After extensive calibration, the amplitude and phase of the signal at the feed of each array element can be accurately determined. However, determining the phase is more difficult and monitoring errors can lead to a hazardous peak local specific absorption rate (pSAR10g) underestimation. For this purpose, methods were published for online maximum potential pSAR10g estimation without relying on phase monitoring, but these methods produce considerable overestimation. We present a trigonometric maximization method to determine the actual worst‐case pSAR10g without any overestimation. Theory and Method The proposed method takes advantage of the sinusoidal relation between the SAR10g in each voxel and the phases of input signals, to return the maximum achievable SAR10g in a few iterations. The method is applied to determine the worst‐case pSAR10g for three multi‐transmit array configurations at 7T: (1) body array with eight fractionated dipoles; (2) head array with eight fractionated dipoles; (3) head array with eight rectangular loops. The obtained worst‐case pSAR10g values are compared with the pSAR10g values determined with a commonly used method and with a more efficient method based on reference‐phases. Results For each voxel, the maximum achievable SAR10g is determined in less than 0.1 ms. Compared to the reference‐phases‐based method, the proposed method reduces the mean overestimation of the actual pSAR10g up to 52%, while never underestimating the true pSAR10g. Conclusion The proposed method can widely improve the performance of parallel transmission MRI systems without phase monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Flavio Meliadò
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Computational Imaging Group for MR diagnostics & therapy, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Tesla Dynamic Coils BV, Zaltbommel, the Netherlands
| | - Alessandro Sbrizzi
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Computational Imaging Group for MR diagnostics & therapy, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A T van den Berg
- Computational Imaging Group for MR diagnostics & therapy, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Department of Radiotherapy, Division of Imaging & Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter R Luijten
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander J E Raaijmakers
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Computational Imaging Group for MR diagnostics & therapy, Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Biomedical Image Analysis, Department Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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10
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Sadeghi-Tarakameh A, DelaBarre L, Lagore RL, Torrado-Carvajal A, Wu X, Grant A, Adriany G, Metzger GJ, Van de Moortele PF, Ugurbil K, Atalar E, Eryaman Y. In vivo human head MRI at 10.5T: A radiofrequency safety study and preliminary imaging results. Magn Reson Med 2019; 84:484-496. [PMID: 31751499 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to safely acquire the first human head images at 10.5T. METHODS To ensure safety of subjects, we validated the electromagnetic simulation model of our coil. We obtained quantitative agreement between simulated and experimental B 1 + and specific absorption rate (SAR). Using the validated coil model, we calculated radiofrequency power levels to safely image human subjects. We conducted all experiments and imaging sessions in a controlled radiofrequency safety lab and the whole-body 10.5T scanner in the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. RESULTS Quantitative agreement between the simulated and experimental results was obtained including S-parameters, B 1 + maps, and SAR. We calculated peak 10 g average SAR using 4 different realistic human body models for a quadrature excitation and demonstrated that the peak 10 g SAR variation between subjects was less than 30%. We calculated safe power limits based on this set and used those limits to acquire T2 - and T 2 ∗ -weighted images of human subjects at 10.5T. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we acquired the first in vivo human head images at 10.5T using an 8-channel transmit/receive coil. We implemented and expanded a previously proposed workflow to validate the electromagnetic simulation model of the 8-channel transmit/receive coil. Using the validated coil model, we calculated radiofrequency power levels to safely image human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Sadeghi-Tarakameh
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.,National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Ankara, Turkey.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Lance DelaBarre
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Russell L Lagore
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Angel Torrado-Carvajal
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Medical Image Analysis and Biometry Laboratory, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Andrea Grant
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregor Adriany
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | - Kamil Ugurbil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Ergin Atalar
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.,National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yigitcan Eryaman
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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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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