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Gatehouse PD, Captur G, Nielles-Vallespin S, Pennell DJ. Field camera input to virtual phantom (ViP) scanner acquisitions for quality assurance of derived MRI quantities: first implementation and proof-of-principle. MAGMA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 37:199-213. [PMID: 38127221 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-023-01136-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Quality assurance (QA) of measurements derived from MRI can require complicated test phantoms. This work introduces a new QA concept using gradient and transmit RF recordings by a limited field camera (FC) to govern the previous Virtual Phantom (ViP) method. The purpose is to describe the first technical implementation of combined FC+ViP, and illustrate its performance in examples, including quantitative first-pass myocardial perfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS The new QA concept starts with a synthetic test object (STO) representing some arbitrary test input. Using recordings of the unmodified standard sequence by a gradient and RF waveform camera (FC), ViP calculates by Bloch simulation the continuous RF signal emitted by the STO during this sequence (hence FC+ViP). During nominally identical repetition of the sequence acquisition, ViP transmits the RF signal for scanner reception, reconstruction and any further parametric derivations by the unmodified standard scanner image reconstruction and analysis software. RESULTS The scanner outputs were compared against the input STOs. CONCLUSION First proof-of-principle was discussed and supported by correlation between scanner outputs and the input STO. The work makes no claim that its examples are valid QA methods. It concludes by proposing a new industrial standard for QA without the FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter David Gatehouse
- Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, Chelsea, London, UK.
- National Heart and Lung Institute of Imperial College London, Cale Street, Chelsea, London, UK.
| | - Gabriella Captur
- University College London Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Torrington Place, Fitzrovia, London, UK
| | - Sonia Nielles-Vallespin
- Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, Chelsea, London, UK
- National Heart and Lung Institute of Imperial College London, Cale Street, Chelsea, London, UK
| | - Dudley John Pennell
- Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, Chelsea, London, UK
- National Heart and Lung Institute of Imperial College London, Cale Street, Chelsea, London, UK
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Dubovan PI, Gilbert KM, Baron CA. A correction algorithm for improved magnetic field monitoring with distal field probes. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:2242-2260. [PMID: 37598420 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A significant source of artifacts in MRI are field fluctuations. Field monitoring is a new technology that allows measurement of field dynamics during a scan via "field probes," which can be used to improve image reconstruction. Ideally, probes are located within the volume where gradients produce nominally linear field patterns. However, in some situations probes must be located far from isocenter where rapid field variation can arise, leading to erroneous field-monitoring characterizations and images. This work aimed to develop an algorithm that improves the robustness of field dynamics in these situations. METHODS The algorithm is split into three components. Component 1 calculates field dynamics one spatial order at a time, whereas the second implements a weighted least squares solution based on probe distance. Component 3 then calculates phase residuals and removes the residual phase for distant probes before recalculation. Two volunteers and a phantom were scanned on a 7T MRI using diffusion-weighted sequences, and field monitoring was performed. Image reconstructions were informed with field dynamics calculated conventionally, and with the correction algorithm, after which in vivo images were compared qualitatively and phantom image error was quantitatively assessed. RESULTS The algorithm was able to correct corrupted field dynamics, resulting in image-quality improvements. Significant artifact reduction was observed when correcting higher-order fits. Stepwise fitting provided the most correction benefit, which was marginally improved when adding the other correction strategies. CONCLUSION The proposed algorithm can mitigate effects of phase errors in field monitoring, providing improved characterization of field dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul I Dubovan
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Center for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle M Gilbert
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Center for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Corey A Baron
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Center for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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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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What's New and What's Next in Diffusion MRI Preprocessing. Neuroimage 2021; 249:118830. [PMID: 34965454 PMCID: PMC9379864 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) provides invaluable information for the study of tissue microstructure and brain connectivity, but suffers from a range of imaging artifacts that greatly challenge the analysis of results and their interpretability if not appropriately accounted for. This review will cover dMRI artifacts and preprocessing steps, some of which have not typically been considered in existing pipelines or reviews, or have only gained attention in recent years: brain/skull extraction, B-matrix incompatibilities w.r.t the imaging data, signal drift, Gibbs ringing, noise distribution bias, denoising, between- and within-volumes motion, eddy currents, outliers, susceptibility distortions, EPI Nyquist ghosts, gradient deviations, B1 bias fields, and spatial normalization. The focus will be on “what’s new” since the notable advances prior to and brought by the Human Connectome Project (HCP), as presented in the predecessing issue on “Mapping the Connectome” in 2013. In addition to the development of novel strategies for dMRI preprocessing, exciting progress has been made in the availability of open source tools and reproducible pipelines, databases and simulation tools for the evaluation of preprocessing steps, and automated quality control frameworks, amongst others. Finally, this review will consider practical considerations and our view on “what’s next” in dMRI preprocessing.
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Gilbert KM, Dubovan PI, Gati JS, Menon RS, Baron CA. Integration of an RF coil and commercial field camera for ultrahigh-field MRI. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:2551-2565. [PMID: 34932225 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop an RF coil with an integrated commercial field camera for ultrahigh field (7T) neuroimaging. The RF coil would operate within a head-only gradient coil and be subject to the corresponding design constraints. The RF coil can thereafter be used for subject-specific correction of k-space trajectories-notably in gradient-sensitive sequences such as single-shot spiral imaging. METHODS The transmit and receive performance was evaluated before and after the integration of field probes, whereas field probes were evaluated when in an optimal configuration external to the coil and after their integration. Diffusion-weighted EPI and single-shot spiral acquisitions were employed to evaluate the efficacy of correcting higher order field perturbations and the consequent effect on image quality. RESULTS Field probes had a negligible effect on RF-coil performance, including the transmit efficiency, transmit uniformity, and mean SNR over the brain. Modest reductions in field-probe signal lifetimes were observed, caused primarily by nonidealities in the gradient and shim fields of the head-only gradient coil at the probe positions. The field-monitoring system could correct up to second-order field perturbations in single-shot spiral imaging. CONCLUSION The integrated RF coil and field camera was capable of concurrent-field monitoring within a 7T head-only scanner and facilitated the subsequent correction of k-space trajectories during spiral imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Gilbert
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul I Dubovan
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph S Gati
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ravi S Menon
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Corey A Baron
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Lee Y, Kettinger AO, Wilm BJ, Deichmann R, Weiskopf N, Lambert C, Pruessmann KP, Nagy Z. A comprehensive approach for correcting voxel-wise b-value errors in diffusion MRI. Magn Reson Med 2019; 83:2173-2184. [PMID: 31840300 PMCID: PMC7065087 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In diffusion MRI, the actual b-value played out on the scanner may deviate from the nominal value due to magnetic field imperfections. A simple image-based correction method for this problem is presented. METHODS The apparent diffusion constant (ADC) of a water phantom was measured voxel-wise along 64 diffusion directions at b = 1000 s/mm2 . The true diffusion constant of water was estimated, considering the phantom temperature. A voxel-wise correction factor, providing an effective b-value including any magnetic field deviations, was determined for each diffusion direction by relating the measured ADC to the true diffusion constant. To test the method, the measured b-value map was used to calculate the corrected voxel-wise ADC for additionally acquired diffusion data sets on the same water phantom and data sets acquired on a small water phantom at three different positions. Diffusion tensor was estimated by applying the measured b-value map to phantom and in vivo data sets. RESULTS The b-value-corrected ADC maps of the phantom showed the expected spatial uniformity as well as a marked improvement in consistency across diffusion directions. The b-value correction for the brain data resulted in a 5.8% and 5.5% decrease in mean diffusivity and angular differences of the primary diffusion direction of 2.71° and 0.73° inside gray and white matter, respectively. CONCLUSION The actual b-value deviates significantly from its nominal setting, leading to a spatially variable error in the common diffusion outcome measures. The suggested method measures and corrects these artifacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoojin Lee
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS Lab), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adam O Kettinger
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Nuclear Techniques, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bertram Jakob Wilm
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Deichmann
- Brain Imaging Centre, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Lambert
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Klaas Paul Pruessmann
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zoltan Nagy
- Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS Lab), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
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Biophysical, Biochemical, and Cell Based Approaches Used to Decipher the Role of Carbonic Anhydrases in Cancer and to Evaluate the Potency of Targeted Inhibitors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2018; 2018:2906519. [PMID: 30112206 PMCID: PMC6077552 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2906519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are thought to be important for regulating pH in the tumor microenvironment. A few of the CA isoforms are upregulated in cancer cells, with only limited expression in normal cells. For these reasons, there is interest in developing inhibitors that target these tumor-associated CA isoforms, with increased efficacy but limited nonspecific cytotoxicity. Here we present some of the biophysical, biochemical, and cell based techniques and approaches that can be used to evaluate the potency of CA targeted inhibitors and decipher the role of CAs in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and metastatic processes. These techniques include esterase activity assays, stop flow kinetics, and mass inlet mass spectroscopy (MIMS), all of which measure enzymatic activity of purified protein, in the presence or absence of inhibitors. Also discussed is the application of X-ray crystallography and Cryo-EM as well as other structure-based techniques and thermal shift assays to the studies of CA structure and function. Further, large-scale genomic and proteomic analytical methods, as well as cell based techniques like those that measure cell growth, apoptosis, clonogenicity, and cell migration and invasion, are discussed. We conclude by reviewing approaches that test the metastatic potential of CAs and how the aforementioned techniques have contributed to the field of CA cancer research.
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