Agarose Gel Phantoms Research Articles

Experimental study of sector and linear array ultrasound accuracy and the influence of navigated 3D-reconstruction as compared to MRI in a brain tumor model.

Currently, intraoperative ultrasound in brain tumor surgery is a rapidly propagating option in imaging technology. We examined the accuracy and resolution limits of different ultrasound probes and the influence of 3D-reconstruction in a phantom and compared these results to MRI in an intraoperative setting (iMRI). An agarose gel phantom with predefined gel targets was examined with iMRI, a sector (SUS) and a linear (LUS) array probe with two-dimensional images. Additionally, 3D-reconstructed sweeps in perpendicular directions were made of every target with both probes, resulting in 392 measurements. Statistical calculations were performed, and comparative boxplots were generated. Every measurement of iMRI and LUS was more precise than SUS, while there was no apparent difference in height of iMRI and 3D-reconstructed LUS. Measurements with 3D-reconstructed LUS were always more accurate than in 2D-LUS, while 3D-reconstruction of SUS showed nearly no differences to 2D-SUS in some measurements. We found correlations of 3D-reconstructed SUS and LUS length and width measurements with 2D results in the same image orientation. LUS provides an accuracy and resolution comparable to iMRI, while SUS is less exact than LUS and iMRI. 3D-reconstruction showed the potential to distinctly improve accuracy and resolution of ultrasound images, although there is a strong correlation with the sweep direction during data acquisition.

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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Immune-based therapies hold great promise for treatment of refractory tumors. However, development is limited by a lack of identified immune correlates to vaccination. We recently showed that dendritic cells (DCs) prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with glioblastoma, and that DC migration to site draining lymph nodes robustly correlates with both PFS and OS. While this appears to be a reliable immune correlate, the complexity of routine labeling for PET and SPECT prohibits validation in a large clinical study. We therefore seek to develop a safe, translatable reporter that can be imaged with a widely available imaging modality. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The cationic liposome 1,2-doleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) was loaded with MRI-imageable iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) with or without the neutral molecules PEG and cholesterol. The resulting nanoparticles were loaded with RNA to form RNA-NPs that were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and used to transfect DCs in vitro; 4.7 T MRI was then used to image particles or cells in agarose gel phantoms. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: TEM images of RNA-NPs indicate the presence of IONP-loaded liposomes. In vitro transfection experiments demonstrate that iron oxide does not reduce RNA-NP-mediated transfection of DCs. Additionally, small amounts of either PEG or cholesterol within RNA-NPs increased transfection of DC2.4s and enhanced T-cell priming by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. A series of 4.7 T MRI images of particles in cells, spleens, and LNs demonstrated quantifiable differences in particle density between groups. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This data suggests that IONP-loaded RNA-NPs can be imaged with MRI and manipulated to augment DC function. Future work will include in vivo imaging in mice and safety studies to facilitate translation into first-in-human studies. Successful completion of this project would provide a powerful clinical tool to improve and track patient responses to immune therapy.

Evaluation of MR thermometry with proton resonance frequency method at 7T.

Quantitative and non-invasive temperature mapping using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a unique way to measure temperature evolution inside biological tissues. The method is widely used in thermal ablation procedures with magnetic fields at or below 3T. In this paper, the sensitivity of the MRI thermometry at 7T was studied using a proton resonance frequency (PRF)-based technique. We first used an agarose gel phantom with MR-compatible thermometry to calibrate the temperature coefficient, and then this temperature coefficient was employed to measure the internal temperature in both ex vivo (beef muscle) and in vivo (rat) experiments using focused ultrasound heating. The temperature coefficient calibrated by the phantom was 0.0095 ppm/°C, and both the ex vivo and in vivo experiments exhibited clear temperature evolution. This quantitative study confirmed the sensitivity (<1 °C) of MR temperature mapping at 7T.

Ultrasonographic Imaging and Anti-inflammatory Therapy of Muscle and Tendon Injuries Using Polymer Nanoparticles.

Ultrasonography is a reliable diagnostic modality for muscle and tendon injuries, but it has been challenging to find right diagnosis of minor musculoskeletal injuries by conventional ultrasonographic imaging. A large amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are known to be generated during tissue damages such as mechanical injury and therefore H2O2 holds great potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic marker for mechanical injuries in the musculoskeletal system. We previously developed poly(vanillyl alcohol-co-oxalate) (PVAX), which rapidly scavenges H2O2 and exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in H2O2-associated diseases. Based on the notion that PVAX nanoparticles generate CO2 bubbles through H2O2-triggered hydrolysis, we postulated that PVAX nanoparticles could serve as ultrasonographic contrast agents and therapeutic agents for musculoskeletal injuries associated with overproduction of H2O2. In the agarose gel phantom study, PVAX nanoparticles continuously generated CO2 bubbles to enhance ultrasonographic echogenicity significantly. Contusion injury significantly elevated the level of H2O2 in skeletal muscles and Achilles tendons. Upon intramuscular injection, PVAX nanoparticles significantly elevated the ultrasound contrast and suppressed inflammation and apoptosis in the contusion injury of musculoskeletal systems. We anticipate that PVAX nanoparticles hold great translational potential as theranostic agents for musculoskeletal injuries.

Imaging and quantification of iron‐oxide nanoparticles (IONP) using MP‐RAGE and UTE based sequences

To investigate two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrashort echo time (UTE) and 3D magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo (MP-RAGE) sequences for the imaging of iron-oxide nanoparticles (IONP). The phantoms were composed of tubes filled with different IONP concentrations ranging from 2 to 45 mM. The tubes were fixed in an agarose gel phantom (0.9% by weight). Morphological imaging was performed with 3D MP-RAGE, 2D UTE, 2D adiabatic inversion recovery-prepared UTE (2D IR-UTE), 3D UTE with Cones trajectory (3D Cones), and 3D IR-Cones sequences. Quantitative assessment of IONP concentration was performed using R2*(1/T2*) and R1 (1/T1 ) measurements using a 3 Tesla (T) scanner. The 3D MP-RAGE sequence provides high-contrast images of IONP with concentration up to 7.5 mM. Higher IONP concentration up to 37.5 mM can be detected with the UTE sequences, with the highest IONP contrast provided by the 3D IR-Cones sequence. A linear relationship was observed between R2* and IONP concentration up to ∼45 mM, and between R1 and IONP concentration up to ∼30 mM. The clinical 3D MP-RAGE sequence can be used to assess lower IONP concentration up to 7.5 mM. The UTE sequences can be used to assess higher IONP concentration up to 45 mM. Magn Reson Med 78:226-232, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Design and Verification of Novel Low-Cost MR-Guided Small-Animal Stereotactic System

Stereotactic systems have been used for decades to position surgical instruments in important preclinical and clinical studies. We developed and verified a low-cost magnetic-resonance-guided system for accurate preclinical stereotactic operations on small animals. The system consists of both commercially available and custom components, including in-house software written in MATLAB to register coordinate spaces. The software registers target the image-space coordinates from magnetic resonance imaging to the physical space through a rigid-body transform. The transform uses singular value decomposition to determine rotation and translation matrices that are optimal in a least squares sense. Needle positioning and core biopsy studies were performed to verify the accuracy of the system. The needle positioning study demonstrated a sub-millimeter positioning error of 0.294 ± 0.156 mm while using a 26 s gauge Hamilton needle. Biopsy studies demonstrated >94 % success in accessing sub-millimeter stereotactic targets embedded in agarose gel phantoms. These favorable results confirm that despite its relatively low hardware cost (US$18,730) and easy assembly, the system is able to consistently access stereotactic targets on the spatial scale of a small animal.

Improvement of the Off-Resonance Saturation, an MRI sequence for positive contrast with SPM particles: Theoretical and experimental study

The SuperParaMagnetic particles (SPM particles) are used as contrast agents in MRI and produce negative contrast with conventional T2 or T2∗-weighted sequences. Unfortunately, the SPM particle detection on images acquired with such sequences is sometimes difficult because negative contrast can be created by artifacts such as air bubbles or calcification. To overcome this problem, new sequences as Off-Resonance Saturation (ORS) were developed to produce positive contrast with SPM particles. This work explores a new way to optimize the contrast generated by the ORS sequence by increasing the number of saturation pulses applied before the imaging sequence. This modified sequence is studied with numerical simulations and experiments on agarose gel phantoms. A theoretical model able to predict the contrast for different values of the sequence parameters is also developed. The results show that the contrast increases with the saturation pulses number with an optimal value of three saturation pulses in order to avoid artifacts and limit the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) effect. The dependence of the contrast on the SPM particle concentration and sequence parameters is comparable to what was observed for the ORS sequence.

Magnetic resonance imaging phantoms for quality-control of myocardial T1 and ECV mapping: specific formulation, long-term stability and variation with heart rate and temperature.

BackgroundMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phantoms are routinely used for quality assurance in MRI centres; however their long term stability for verification of myocardial T1/ extracellular volume fraction (ECV) mapping has never been investigated.MethodsNickel-chloride agarose gel phantoms were formulated in a reproducible laboratory procedure to mimic blood and myocardial T1 and T2 values, native and late after Gadolinium administration as used in T1/ECV mapping. The phantoms were imaged weekly with an 11 heart beat MOLLI sequence for T1 and long TR spin-echo sequences for T2, in a carefully controlled reproducible manner for 12 months.ResultsThere were only small relative changes seen in all the native and post gadolinium T1 values (up to 9.0 % maximal relative change in T1 values) or phantom ECV (up to 8.3 % maximal relative change of ECV, up to 2.2 % maximal absolute change in ECV) during this period. All native and post gadolinium T2 values remained stable over time with <2 % change.Temperature sensitivity testing showed MOLLI T1 values in the long T1 phantoms increasing by 23.9 ms per degree increase and short T1 phantoms increasing by 0.3 ms per degree increase. There was a small absolute increase in ECV of 0.069 % (~0.22 % relative increase in ECV) per degree increase.Variation in heart rate testing showed a 0.13 % absolute increase in ECV (~0.45 % relative increase in ECV) per 10 heart rate increase.ConclusionsThese are the first phantoms reported in the literature modeling T1 and T2 values for blood and myocardium specifically for the T1mapping/ECV mapping application, with stability tested rigorously over a 12 month period. This work has significant implications for the utility of such phantoms in improving the accuracy of serial scans for myocardial tissue characterisation by T1 mapping methods and in multicentre work.

405nm versus 633nm for protoporphyrin IX excitation in fluorescence-guided stereotactic biopsy of brain tumors.

Fluorescence diagnosis may be used to improve the safety and reliability of stereotactic brain tumor biopsies using biopsy needles with integrated fiber optics. Based on 5-aminolevulinic-acid-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence, vital tumor tissue can be localized in vivo during the excision procedure to reduce the number of necessary samples for a reliable diagnosis. In this study, the practical suitability of two different PpIX excitation wavelengths (405nm, 633nm) was investigated on optical phantoms. Violet excitation at 405nm provides a 50-fold higher sensitivity for the bulk tumor; this factor increases up to 100 with decreasing fluorescent volume as shown by ray tracing simulations. Red excitation at 633nm, however, is noticeably superior with regard to blood layers obscuring the fluorescence. Experimental results on the signal attenuation through blood layers of well-defined thicknesses could be confirmed by ray tracing simulations. Typical interstitial fiber probe measurements were mimicked on agarose-gel phantoms. Even in direct contact, blood layers of 20-40µm between probe and tissue must be expected, obscuring 405-nm-excited PpIX fluorescence almost completely, but reducing the 633-nm-excited signal only by 25.5%. Thus, 633nm seems to be the wavelength of choice for PpIX-assisted detection of high-grade gliomas in stereotactic biopsy. PpIX signal attenuation through clinically relevant blood layers for 405 nm (violet) and 633 nm (red) excitation.

Immediate postoperative changes in synthetic meshes – In vivo measurements

Background and objectiveImmediate post-operative structural changes in implanted synthetic meshes are believed to contribute to graft related complications. Our aim was to observe in vivo dimensional changes at the pore level. Method:Two different polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) meshes, CICAT and ENDOLAP (Dynamesh, FEG Textiltechnik) were implanted in 18 female Sprague Dawley (n=9/group). The meshes (30×25mm2) were overlaid on a full thickness incision (2×1cm2) and sutured on the abdominal wall. All animals underwent microCT imaging (res. 35µm/px) at day 1 and 15 postsurgery. A customized procedure was developed to semi-automatically detect the pore centers from the microCT dataset. Horizontal (transverse) and vertical (cranio-caudal) inter-pore distances were then recorded. The overall mesh dimensions were also noted from 3D models generated from in vivo microCT datasets. Inter-pore distances and the overall dimensions from microCT images of the meshes set in agarose gel phantom were used as controls. Mann–Whitney U test was done to check for significant differences. ResultsNumber of measurable vertical and horizontal inter-pore distances was 56.5(10.5) and 54.5(14.5) [median (IQR)] per animal. At day 1, we observed a 4.3% (CICAT) and 4.6% (ENDOLAP) increase in vertical inter-pore distance when compared to controls (p<0.001, p=0.003, respectively). Measurements fell back to phantom values by day 15 (3.7% and 4.9% decrease compared to day 1, p<0.001 for both). The horizontal inter-pore distances for ENDOLAP increased by 1.4% (p=0.003) during the two weeks period. The overall mesh dimensions did not change significantly day 1 and day 15. The in vivo measurement of the overall mesh dimensions demonstrated a 15.9% reduction in mesh area as compared to that in phantom controls. ConclusionWe report for the first time, in vivo changes in pore dimensions of a textile implant. This study clearly demonstrates the dynamic nature of a textile implant during the tissue integration process. For studied PVDF meshes, the process of tissue integration leads to limited but significant reduction over time as observed at the pore level. Remarkably the extent of this reduction does not account for the change in overall mesh dimensions.

Laser-ablated silicon nanoparticles: optical properties and perspectives in optical coherence tomography

Due to their biocompatibility silicon nanoparticles have high potential in biomedical applications, especially in optical diagnostics. In this paper we analyze properties of the silicon nanoparticles formed via laser ablation in water and study the possibility of their application as contrasting agents in optical coherence tomography (OCT). The nanoparticles suspension was produced by picosecond laser irradiation of monocrystalline silicon wafers in water. According to transmission electron microcopy analysis the silicon nanoparticles in the obtained suspension vary in size from 2 to 200 nm while concentration of the particles is estimated as 1013cm−3. The optical properties of the suspension in the range from 400 to 1000 nm were studied by spectrophotometry measurements revealing a scattering coefficient of about 0.1 mm−1 and a scattering anisotropy factor in the range of 0.2–0.4. In OCT study a system with a central wavelength of 910 nm was employed. Potential of the silicon nanoparticles as a contrasting agent for OCT is studied in experiments with agarose gel phantoms. Topical application of the nanoparticles suspension allowed the obtaining of the contrast of structural features of phantom up to 14 dB in the OCT image.

Bottom-up study of the MRI positive contrast created by the Off-Resonance Saturation sequence

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPM particles) are used in MRI to highlight regions such as tumors through negative contrast. Unfortunately, sources as air bubbles or tissues interfaces also lead to negative contrast, which complicates the image interpretation. New MRI sequences creating positive contrast in the particle surrounding, such as the Off-Resonance Saturation sequence (ORS), have thus been developed. However, a theoretical study of the ORS sequence is still lacking, which hampers the optimization of this sequence. For this reason, this work provides a self-consistent analytical expression able to predict the dependence of the contrast on the sequence parameters and the SPM particles properties. This expression was validated by numerical simulations and experiments on agarose gel phantoms on a 11.7T scanner system. It provides a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms leading to positive contrast, which could allow the improvement of the sequence for future in vivo applications. The influence of the SPM particle relaxivities, the SPM particle concentration, the echo time and the saturation pulse parameters on the contrast were investigated. The best contrast was achieved with SPM particles possessing the smallest transverse relaxivity, an optimal particle concentration and for low echo times.

Theoretical and experimental study of ON-Resonance Saturation, an MRI sequence for positive contrast with superparamagnetic nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPM particles) are widely used in MRI as negative contrast agents. Their detection is sometimes difficult because negative contrast can be caused by different artifacts. To overcome this problem, MRI protocols achieving positive contrast specific to SPM particles were developed such as the ON-Resonance Saturation (ONRS) sequence. The aim of the present work is to achieve a bottom-up study of the ONRS sequence by an understanding of the physical mechanisms leading to positive contrast. A complete theoretical modeling, a novel numerical simulation approach and experiments on agarose gel phantoms on a 11.7T MRI system were carried out for this purpose. The influence of the particle properties and concentration – as well as the effect of the sequence parameters on the contrast – were investigated. It was observed that theory and experiments were in strong agreement. The tools developed in this work allowed to predict the parameters leading to the maximum contrast. For example, particles presenting a low transverse relaxivity can provide an interesting positive contrast after optimization of their concentration in the sample.

Real Time MR Thermometry Using Tm-DOTMA

We present results of real-time and sensitive MR Thermometry (MRT) using a paramagnetic lanthanide complex thulium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraa-cetate (Tm-DOTMA) to study radio frequency (RF) heating induced by a copper wire and a titanium bone screw in an agarose gel phantom. The temperature dependent chemical shift coefficient (TDCSC) of the methyl resonance was found to be 0.7 ± 0.03 ppm/°;C in agarose gel. The methyl protons of Tm-DOTMA were imaged using 2D chemical shift imaging (CSI) and 3D phase mapping methods (PMM), approximately 7 sec long, and compared with conventional water proton resonance frequency (PRF) method. Two RF-induced heating approaches were tested: 1) using a prescan before the MRT; or 2) using the heating caused by the imaging pulse during continuous imaging. Both approaches allowed detection of temperature changes which are less than 1°;C and continuously mapping temperature changes around the copper wire. Using a heating pre-scan, the Tm-DOTMA 2D-CSI allowed better qualitative visualization of the temperature changes around the titanium screw compared with water phase shift thermometry. Numerical electromagnetic field simulations were also conducted for the evaluation of orientation dependency using the copper wire in 4.7 T (200 MHz). Thermometry approach using Tm-DOTMA can detect smaller temperature changes with decreased scanning time resulting in real-time and sensitive temperature mapping.

A simple method for MR elastography: a gradient-echo type multi-echo sequence

To demonstrate the feasibility of a novel MR elastography (MRE) technique based on a conventional gradient-echo type multi-echo MR sequence which does not need additional bipolar magnetic field gradients (motion encoding gradient: MEG), yet is sensitive to vibration. In a gradient-echo type multi-echo MR sequence, several images are produced from each echo of the train with different echo times (TEs). If these echoes are synchronized with the vibration, each readout's gradient lobes achieve a MEG-like effect, and the later generated echo causes a greater MEG-like effect. The sequence was tested for the tissue-mimicking agarose gel phantoms and the psoas major muscles of healthy volunteers. It was confirmed that the readout gradient lobes caused an MEG-like effect and the later TE images had higher sensitivity to vibrations. The magnitude image of later generated echo suffered the T2 decay and the susceptibility artifacts, but the wave image and elastogram of later generated echo were unaffected by these effects. In in vivo experiments, this method was able to measure the mean shear modulus of the psoas major muscle. From the results of phantom experiments and volunteer studies, it was shown that this method has clinical application potential.

Haptic simulation for acupuncture needle manipulation.

Stimulation degree, biomechanical force, and de qi sensation are the three major components of needle manipulation. To date, it has been difficult to measure all three components quantitatively. To (1) measure and compare biomechanical forces of six human acupoints in vivo during haptic manipulation, (2) develop phantom acupoints with biomechanical forces similar to those of human acupoints, and (3) validate the newly developed phantom acupoints based on assessment by doctors of Korean medicine. The biomechanical force and needle grasp sensation (i.e., the practitioner's de qi sensation) of six human acupoints (LI4, LI11, LR3, ST36, ST25, and BL25) were assessed in 16 participants upon stimulation with the twisting manipulation technique. On the basis of biomechanical data from these human acupoints, phantom acupoints that generated similar biomechanical forces were developed by using 1%-7% agarose gel. In humans, the mean torque amplitudes of the six acupoints differed significantly. In the phantom, the biomechanical force was dose-dependently greater in higher-concentration agarose gel phantom acupoints. Biomechanical force and the needle grasp sensation were significantly correlated in both human and phantom acupoints. Importantly, practitioners could not discriminate between human and phantom acupoints, suggesting that the validity and credibility of the phantom acupoints are sufficient for applications in education and research. Application of force-validated phantom acupoints based on human data will be a helpful tool for training and will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of acupuncture manipulation.

SU‐E‐J‐131: Automatic Detection of Gold Fiducial Markers On MR Images Using the RASOR Technique

Purpose:The detection of gold fiducial markers on MR images is important for CT‐MR registration and will be key to upcoming MRI‐only treatment planning. Visualization of gold fiducials with MRI is, however, challenging as seeds lead to small signal voids that are difficult to detect on regular MR scans. Here, we demonstrate that by using a balanced radial SSFP sequence in combination with an off‐resonance reconstruction, gold fiducials can be given a positive contrast facilitating automatic detection.Methods:Three gold fiducials (HA2 Medizintechnik, Germany, 1x 5 mm²) were placed in three orthogonal orientations in an agarose gel phantom. We used a 3D stack of stars transient balanced gradient echo (tbGE) sequence with SPAIR fat suppression (TR/TE = 3.3/1.63ms, 1×1×2 mm³ acquired voxels, BW=1085Hz/vox). To create positive contrast at the seed locations the RASOR technique employs an additional off‐resonance reconstruction at 3000 Hz. Background‐suppression was obtained by subtracting the on‐resonance image twice from the off‐resonance image.Results:The short echo time of the sequence combined with a “balanced” gradient scheme resulted in well localized and sharp signal voids at fiducial locations. By employing RASOR reconstruction the gold fiducials were depicted hyperintense and allowed determination of the locatation and orientation of the fiducials. The radial readout ensures accurate localization as any susceptibility induced geometrical shift for a radial readout line, is balanced by an opposite radial readout. Thus the centre‐of‐gravity of the hyperintensity reflects the true position of the fiducials.Conclusion:A radial balanced sequence in combination with short TR and TR and high spatial resolution, results in accurate depiction of gold fiducials while being standardly available on MR systems. The RASOR reconstruction results in a positive contrast facilitating automatic detection. This enables automatic registration between CT and MRI based on fiducial markers, and in the may warrant an MRI‐only planning approach.

R2* and R2 mapping for quantifying recruitment of superparamagnetic iron oxide-tagged endothelial progenitor cells to injured liver: tracking in vitro and in vivo.

ObjectiveTo evaluate clinical 3.0T magnetic resonance for tracking and quantifying superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)–labeled endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vitro and homing to liver with acute injury in vivo.MethodsThe bone marrow-derived EPCs were isolated and cultured for 4 days and examined in vitro for lineage markers. Then the cultured cells were labeled with a ferumoxides-protamine sulfate complex. Iron uptake was analyzed with an electron microscope and Prussian blue staining. Agarose gel phantoms containing different amounts of EPCs (0–2.5 × 106 cells per milliliter of 1.0% agarose gel) were analyzed with 3.0T R2 and R2* relaxometry. For in vivo tracking, liver injury was induced in healthy C57 mice (female, 6 weeks old, weight 19–20 g) by administration of carbon tetrachloride by single intraperitoneal injection. The R2* and R2 mapping of injured and normal livers of C57 mice were conducted by using 3.0T magnetic resonance on Days 0, 1, 4, and 8 after intravenous SPIO-tagged cells transplantation.ResultsElectron microscope and Perls Prussian blue stain revealed the efficiency of SPIO particles uptake was more than 95% and no structural changes of labeled cells were found compared with control group. R2 and R2* values were linearly correlated with the number of iron-loaded cells in the agarose gel phantoms, and R2* values were significantly greater than R2 (P<0.01). R2* values in all groups were obviously greater than R2 (P<0.01). The R2* values of the injured livers were greater than normal on Days 1 and 4 (P<0.01). No significant difference of R2 values could be found among the three groups.ConclusionQuantitative R2* mapping provides a useful method for quantifying intravascular administered SPIO-tagged EPCs homing to injured livers.

Using the dGEMRIC technique to evaluate cartilage health in the presence of surgical hardware at 3T: comparison of inversion recovery and saturation recovery approaches

To evaluate the effect of metal artifact reduction techniques on dGEMRIC T(1) calculation with surgical hardware present. We examined the effect of stainless-steel and titanium hardware on dGEMRIC T(1) maps. We tested two strategies to reduce metal artifact in dGEMRIC: (1) saturation recovery (SR) instead of inversion recovery (IR) and (2) applying the metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS), in a gadolinium-doped agarose gel phantom and in vivo with titanium hardware. T(1) maps were obtained using custom curve-fitting software and phantom ROIs were defined to compare conditions (metal, MARS, IR, SR). A large area of artifact appeared in phantom IR images with metal when T(I) ≤ 700 ms. IR maps with metal had additional artifact both in vivo and in the phantom (shifted null points, increased mean T(1) (+151 % IR ROI(artifact)) and decreased mean inversion efficiency (f; 0.45 ROI(artifact), versus 2 for perfect inversion)) compared to the SR maps (ROI(artifact): +13 % T(1) SR, 0.95 versus 1 for perfect excitation), however, SR produced noisier T(1) maps than IR (phantom SNR: 118 SR, 212 IR). MARS subtly reduced the extent of artifact in the phantom (IR and SR). dGEMRIC measurement in the presence of surgical hardware at 3T is possible with appropriately applied strategies. Measurements may work best in the presence of titanium and are severely limited with stainless steel. For regions near hardware where IR produces large artifacts making dGEMRIC analysis impossible, SR-MARS may allow dGEMRIC measurements. The position and size of the IR artifact is variable, and must be assessed for each implant/imaging set-up.

Sample interval modulation for the simultaneous acquisition of displacement vector data in magnetic resonance elastography: theory and application

SampLe Interval Modulation-magnetic resonance elastography (SLIM-MRE) is introduced for simultaneously encoding all three displacement projections of a monofrequency vibration into the MR signal phase. In SLIM-MRE, the individual displacement components are observed using different sample intervals. In doing so, the components are modulated with different apparent frequencies in the MR signal phase expressed as a harmonic function of the start time of the motion encoding gradients and can thus be decomposed by applying a Fourier transform to the sampled multidirectional MR phases. In this work, the theoretical foundations of SLIM-MRE are presented and the new idea is implemented using a high field (11.7 T) vertical bore magnetic resonance imaging system on an inhomogeneous agarose gel phantom sample. The local frequency estimation-derived stiffness values were the same within the error margins for both the new SLIM-MRE method and for conventional MRE, while the number of temporally-resolved MRE experiments needed for each study was reduced from three to one. In this work, we present for the first time, monofrequency displacement data along three sensitization directions that were acquired simultaneously and stored in the same k-space.