Sectoral sampling in centric-scan SPRITE magnetic resonance imaging

Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI at low field: Current status and future directions

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is dictated by the magnetization of the sample, and is thus a low-sensitivity imaging method. Inhalation of hyperpolarized (HP) noble gases, such as helium-3 and xenon-129, is a non-invasive, radiation-risk free imaging technique permitting high resolution imaging of the lungs and pulmonary functions, such as the lung microstructure, diffusion, perfusion, gas exchange, and dynamic ventilation. Instead of increasing the magnetic field strength, the higher spin polarization achievable from this method results in significantly higher net MR signal independent of tissue/water concentration. Moreover, the significantly longer apparent transverse relaxation time T₂* of these HP gases at low magnetic field strengths results in fewer necessary radiofrequency (RF) pulses, permitting larger flip angles; this allows for high-sensitivity imaging of in vivo animal and human lungs at conventionally low (<0.5 T) field strengths and suggests that the low field regime is optimal for pulmonary MRI using hyperpolarized gases. In this review, theory on the common spin-exchange optical-pumping method of hyperpolarization and the field dependence of the MR signal of HP gases are presented, in the context of human lung imaging. The current state-of-the-art is explored, with emphasis on both MRI hardware (low field scanners, RF coils, and polarizers) and image acquisition techniques (pulse sequences) advancements. Common challenges surrounding imaging of HP gases and possible solutions are discussed, and the future of low field hyperpolarized gas MRI is posed as being a clinically-accessible and versatile imaging method, circumventing the siting restrictions of conventional high field scanners and bringing point-of-care pulmonary imaging to global facilities.

Application of a 2D frequency encoding sectoral approach to hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI at low field

Inhaled hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe MRI is a non-invasive and radiation risk free lung imaging method, which can directly measure the business unit of the lung where gas exchange occurs: the alveoli and acinar ducts (lung function). Currently, three imaging approaches have been demonstrated to be useful for hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe MR in lungs: Fast Gradient Recalled Echo (FGRE), Radial Projection Reconstruction (PR), and spiral/cones. Typically, non-Cartesian acquisitions such as PR and spiral/cones require specific data post-processing, such as interpolating, regridding, and density-weighting procedures for image reconstruction, which often leads to smoothing effects and resolution degradation. On the other hand, Cartesian methods such as FGRE are not short-echo time (TE) methods; they suffer from imaging gradient-induced diffusion-weighting of the k-space center, and employ a significant number of radio-frequency (RF) pulses. Due to the non-renewable magnetization of the hyperpolarized media, the use of a large number of RF pulses (FGRE/PR) required for full k-space coverage is a significant limitation, especially for low field (<0.5 T) hyperpolarized gas MRI. We demonstrate an ultra-fast, purely frequency-encoded, Cartesian pulse sequence called Frequency-Encoding Sectoral (FES), which takes advantage of the long T₂* of hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe gas at low field strength (0.074 T). In contrast to PR/FGRE, it uses a much smaller number of RF pulses, and consequently maximizes image Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) while shortening acquisition time. Additionally, FES does not suffer from non-uniform T₂* decay leading to image blurring; a common issue with interleaved spirals/cones. The Cartesian k-space coverage of the proposed FES method does not require specific k-space data post-processing, unlike PR/FGRE and spiral/cones methods. Proton scans were used to compare the FES sequence to both FGRE and Phase Encoding Sectoral, in terms of their SNR values and imaging efficiency estimates. Using FES, proton and hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe images were acquired from a custom hollow acrylic phantom (0.04L) and two normal rats (¹²⁹Xe only), utilizing both single-breath and multiple-breath schemes. For the ¹²⁹Xe phantom images, the apparent diffusion coefficient, T₁, and T₂* relaxation maps were acquired and generated. Blurring due to the T₂* decay and B₀ field variation were simulated to estimate dependence of the image resolution on the duration of the data acquisition windows (i.e. sector length), and temperature-induced resonance frequency shift from the low field magnet hardware.

Quantitative measurement of solid fraction in a silo using SPRITE

The purpose of this study is to develop MRI methods to measure the solid fraction in granular flows quantitatively. It is increasingly recognised that solid fraction plays a key role in granular rheology, but experimental characterisation of it during flow is challenging. Here centric sectoral-SPRITE imaging is applied to image mustard seeds discharging from a 3D-printed hopper. Quantitative images are obtained after considering and correcting artefacts that may arise from flow and relaxation. The image intensity is then further corrected for spatial variations in the B₁ field. Various maps of nominally homogeneous samples were tested to correct for variations in the B₁ field. The B₁ field was found to be sensitive to the geometry of the sample and the material in the sample. Hence, here static images of the seeds in the hopper were used to correct for B₁ field variations. Moreover, small signal variations were observed from measurements performed on different days owing to subtle differences in the spectrometer operation. Here an internal standard was used to scale the signal intensity and correct for these variations. Following these corrections, a linear correlation (R² = 0.999) was observed between the scaled image intensities and the known solid fractions of packed samples with solid fractions between 0.55 and 0.64. This correlation was used as a calibration of the 3D image of the hopper to extract quantitative time-averaged spatial maps of solid fraction during steady flow. The measurements were confirmed to be quantitative by also measuring the velocity of the particles. Together these measurements were used to calculate a mass flow rate in the hopper, which was consistent with the mass flow measured gravimetrically.

Quantitative measurement of hopper flow using MRI

To gain fundamental insight into granular flow behaviour, quantitative measurements of velocity and solid fraction are required. The aim of this study is to measure the solid fraction and velocity of 3D granular flows quantitively using a recently developed MRI method. Time-averaged spatial maps of the solid fraction and velocity are obtained for hoppers with wall angles of 30°, 60°, and 90°. From these maps, the mass flow rate of the material was calculated along the height of the hoppers. Excellent agreement was observed between the MRI and gravimetric mass flow rate measurements, confirming the quantitative nature of the measurements. The resulting solid fraction and velocity measurements provide insight into the dynamics of granular flow.

Distortion-free inside-out imaging for rapid diagnostics of rechargeable Li-ion cells

Safety risks associated with modern high energy-dense rechargeable cells highlight the need for advanced battery screening technologies. A common rechargeable cell exposed to a uniform magnetic field creates a characteristic field perturbation due to the inherent magnetism of electrochemical materials. The perturbation pattern depends on the design, state of charge, accumulated mechanical defects, and manufacturing flaws of the device. The quantification of the induced magnetic field with MRI provides a basis for noninvasive battery diagnostics. MRI distortions and rapid signal decay are the main challenges associated with strongly magnetic components present in most commercial cells. These can be avoided by using Single-Point Ramped Imaging with T ₁ enhancement (SPRITE). The method is immune to image artifacts arising from strong background gradients and eddy currents. Due to its superior image quality, SPRITE is highly sensitive to defects and the state of charge distribution in commercial Li-ion cells.

New opportunities for quantitative and time efficient 3D MRI of liquid and solid electrochemical cell components: Sectoral Fast Spin Echo and SPRITE

The ability to image electrochemical processes in situ using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers exciting possibilities for understanding and optimizing materials in batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. In these applications, however, the quality of the MRI measurement is inherently limited by the presence of conductive elements in the cell or device. To overcome related difficulties, optimal methodologies have to be employed. We show that time-efficient three dimensional (3D) imaging of liquid and solid lithium battery components can be performed by Sectoral Fast Spin Echo and Single Point Imaging with T1 Enhancement (SPRITE), respectively. The former method is based on the generalized phase encoding concept employed in clinical MRI, which we have adapted and optimized for materials science and electrochemistry applications. Hard radio frequency pulses, short echo spacing and centrically ordered sectoral phase encoding ensure accurate and time-efficient full volume imaging. Mapping of density, diffusivity and relaxation time constants in metal-containing liquid electrolytes is demonstrated. 1, 2 and 3D SPRITE approaches show strong potential for rapid high resolution (7)Li MRI of lithium electrode components.

Restricted k-space sampling in pure phase encode MRI of rock core plugs

In the study of rock core plugs with multidimensional MRI, the samples are of a regular cylindrical shape that yields well defined intensity distributions in reciprocal space. The high intensity k-space points are concentrated in the central region and in specific peripheral regions. A large proportion of the k-space points have signal intensities that are below the noise level. These points can be zero-filled instead of being collected experimentally. k-space sampling patterns that collect regions of high intensity signal while neglecting low intensity regions can be naturally applied to a wide variety of pure phase encoding measurements, such as T2 mapping SESPI, hybrid-SESPI and SPRITE, since all imaging dimensions can be under-sampled. With a shorter acquisition time, as fewer experimental data points are required, the RF and gradient duty cycles are reduced, while the image SNR is improved.

Velocity field measurements in sedimentary rock cores by magnetization prepared 3D SPRITE

A time-efficient MRI method suitable for quantitative mapping of 3-D velocity fields in sedimentary rock cores, and granular samples is discussed. The method combines the 13-interval Alternating-Pulsed-Gradient Stimulated-Echo (APGSTE) scheme and three-dimensional Single Point Ramped Imaging with T(1) Enhancement (SPRITE). Collecting a few samples near the q-space origin and employing restricted k-space sampling dramatically improves the performance of the imaging method. The APGSTE-SPRITE method is illustrated through mapping of 3-D velocity field in a macroscopic bead pack and heterogeneous sandstone and limestone core plugs. The observed flow patterns are consistent with a general trend for permeability to increase with the porosity. Domains of low permeability obstruct the flow within the core volume. Water tends to flow along macroscopic zones of higher porosity and across zones of lower porosity.

Two-dimensional T2 distribution mapping in rock core plugs with optimal k-space sampling

Spin-echo single point imaging has been employed for 1D T(2) distribution mapping, but a simple extension to 2D is challenging since the time increase is n fold, where n is the number of pixels in the second dimension. Nevertheless 2D T(2) mapping in fluid saturated rock core plugs is highly desirable because the bedding plane structure in rocks often results in different pore properties within the sample. The acquisition time can be improved by undersampling k-space. The cylindrical shape of rock core plugs yields well defined intensity distributions in k-space that may be efficiently determined by new k-space sampling patterns that are developed in this work. These patterns acquire 22.2% and 11.7% of the k-space data points. Companion density images may be employed, in a keyhole imaging sense, to improve image quality. T(2) weighted images are fit to extract T(2) distributions, pixel by pixel, employing an inverse Laplace transform. Images reconstructed with compressed sensing, with similar acceleration factors, are also presented. The results show that restricted k-space sampling, in this application, provides high quality results.

Quantitative single point imaging with compressed sensing

A novel approach with respect to single point imaging (SPI), compressed sensing, is presented here that is shown to significantly reduce the loss of accuracy of reconstructed images from under-sampled acquisition data. SPI complements compressed sensing extremely well as it allows unconstrained selection of sampling trajectories. Dynamic processes featuring short T2* NMR signal can thus be more rapidly imaged, in our case the absorption of moisture by a cereal-based wafer material, with minimal loss of image quantification. The absolute moisture content distribution is recovered via a series of images acquired with variable phase encoding times allowing extrapolation to time zero for each image pixel and the effective removal of T2* contrast.

Repetition time and flip angle variation in SPRITE imaging for acquisition time and SAR reduction

Single point imaging methods such as SPRITE are often the technique of choice for imaging fast-relaxing nuclei in solids. Single point imaging sequences based on SPRITE in their conventional form are ill-suited for in vivo applications since the acquisition time is long and the SAR is high. A new sequence design is presented employing variable repetition times and variable flip angles in order to improve the characteristics of SPRITE for in vivo applications. The achievable acquisition time savings as well as SAR reductions and/or SNR increases afforded by this approach were investigated using a resolution phantom as well as PSF simulations. Imaging results in phantoms indicate that acquisition times may be reduced by up to 70% and the SAR may be reduced by 40% without an appreciable loss of image quality.

SPRITE MRI of bubbly flow in a horizontal pipe

Bubble flow is characterised by numerous phase interfaces and turbulence, leading to fast magnetic resonance signal decay and artefacts in spin-warp imaging. In this paper, the SPRITE MRI pulse sequence, with its potential for very short encoding times, is demonstrated as an ideal technique for studying such dynamic systems. It has been used to acquire liquid velocity and relative intensity maps of two-phase gas-liquid dispersed bubble flow in a horizontal pipe at a liquid Reynolds number of 14,500. The fluids were air and water and a turbulence grid was used to generate a dispersed bubble flow pattern. The SPRITE technique shows promise for future research in gas-liquid flow.

Optimal k-space sampling for single point imaging of transient systems

A novel approach for sampling k-space in a pure phase encoding imaging sequence is presented using the Single Point Imaging (SPI) technique. The sequence is optimised with respect to the achievable Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) for a given time interval via selective sparse k-space sampling, dictated by prior knowledge of the overall object of interest's shape. This allows dynamic processes featuring short T(2)( *) NMR signal to be more readily followed, in our case the absorption of moisture by a cereal-based wafer material. Further improvements in image quality are also shown via the use of complete sampling of k-space at the start or end of the series of imaging experiments; followed by subsequent use of this data for un-sampled k-space points as opposed to zero filling.

Centric-scan SPRITE magnetic resonance imaging with prepared magnetisation

The combination of contrast preparation with centric-scan SPRITE imaging readout is investigated. The main benefit of SPRITE, its ability to image objects with short T2, is retained. We demonstrate T1 and T2 mapping as examples of magnetisation preparation followed by magnetisation storage and spatially resolved encoding. A strategy for selection of the most advantageous imaging parameters for contrast mapping is presented.