Combination of principal component analysis and optical-flow motion compensation for improved cardiac MR thermometry

The use of magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry for the monitoring of thermal ablation is rapidly expanding. However, this technique remains challenging for the monitoring of the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia by radiofrequency ablation due to the heart displacement with respiration and contraction. Recent studies have addressed this problem by compensating in-plane motion in real-time with optical-flow based tracking technique. However, these algorithms are sensitive to local variation of signal intensity on magnitude images associated with tissue heating. In this study, an optical-flow algorithm was combined with a principal component analysis method to reduce the impact of such effects. The proposed method was integrated to a fully automatic cardiac MR thermometry pipeline, compatible with a future clinical workflow. It was evaluated on nine healthy volunteers under free breathing conditions, on a phantom and in vivo on the left ventricle of a sheep. The results showed that local intensity changes in magnitude images had lower impact on motion estimation with the proposed method. Using this strategy, the temperature mapping accuracy was significantly improved.

Clinical magnetic resonance imaging of pancreatic islet grafts after iron nanoparticle labeling

There is a crucial need for noninvasive assessment tools after cell transplantation. This study investigates whether a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) strategy could be clinically applied to islet transplantation. The purest fractions of seven human islet preparations were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO, 280 microg/mL) and transplanted into four patients with type 1 diabetes. MRI studies (T2*) were performed prior to and at various time points after transplantation. Viability and in vitro and in vivo functions of labeled islets were similar to those of control islets. All patients could stop insulin after transplantation. The first patient had diffuse hypointense images on her baseline liver MRI, typical for spontaneous high iron content, and transplant-related modifications could not be observed. The other three patients had normal intensity on pretransplant images, and iron-loaded islets could be identified after transplantation as hypointense spots within the liver. In one of them, i.v. iron therapy prevented subsequent visualization of the spots because of diffuse hypointense liver background. Altogether, this study demonstrates the feasibility and safety of MRI-based islet graft monitoring in clinical practice. Iron overload (spontaneous or induced) represents the major obstacle to the technique.