Time-resolved 3D Research Articles

Superresolution and analysis of three-dimensional velocity fields of underexpanded jets in different screech modes

Time-resolved (TR), three-dimensional (3D) velocity fields of screeching, underexpanded jets are estimated using non-time-resolved particle image velocimetry and simultaneous TR microphone measurements. Specifically, we aim to reconstruct TR 3D velocity fluctuation fields associated with the A2, B, and C modes of a screeching jet using a linear regression model and to analyze screech dynamics of these modes. The linear regression model is constructed on the basis of a linear relationship between the velocity and acoustic fields. Three nozzle pressure ratios (NPRs) of 2.30, 2.97, and 3.40 are employed. The dominant azimuthal modes for three cases are investigated using azimuthal Fourier coefficients of the acoustic data obtained by the azimuthal array of eight microphones placed near the nozzle exit. The dominant azimuthal modes at NPRs of 2.30, 2.97, and 3.40 are m=0, 1, and 1, respectively. The first two proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes in these azimuthal modes are dominant at all NPRs and are associated with screech. 3D velocity fluctuation fields associated with screech are reconstructed from these leading POD modes of the acoustic data. The reconstructed 3D velocity fluctuation fields at NPRs of 2.97 and 3.40 exhibit two helical structures with opposite rotation directions. The present results demonstrate that, in the B mode, the flapping structure exhibits random clockwise and counterclockwise rotations over an extended time domain, while maintaining a consistent direction within short time domains. In addition, in the C mode, two helical structures with opposite rotation directions, as well as the flapping structure, are observed. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Highly accelerated non-contrast-enhanced time-resolved 4D MRA using stack-of-stars golden-angle radial acquisition with a self-calibrated low-rank subspace reconstruction.

To develop a highly accelerated non-contrast-enhanced 4D-MRA technique by combining stack-of-stars golden-angle radial acquisition with a modified self-calibrated low-rank subspace reconstruction. A low-rank subspace reconstruction framework was introduced in radial 4D MRA (SUPER 4D MRA) by combining stack-of-stars golden-angle radial acquisition with control-label k-space subtraction-based low-rank subspace modeling. Radial 4D MRA data were acquired and reconstructed using the proposed technique on 12 healthy volunteers and 1 patient with steno-occlusive disease. The performance of SUPER 4D MRA was compared with two temporally constrained reconstruction methods (golden-angle radial sparse parallel [GRASP] and GRASP-Pro) at different acceleration rates in terms of image quality and delineation of blood dynamics. SUPER 4D MRA outperformed the other two reconstruction methods, offering superior image quality with a clear background and detailed delineation of cerebrovascular structures as well as great temporal fidelity in blood flow dynamics. SUPER 4D MRA maintained excellent performance even at higher acceleration rates. SUPER 4D MRA is a promising technique for highly accelerating 4D MRA acquisition without comprising both temporal fidelity and image quality.

Synchronous PIV measurements of a self-powered blood turbine and pump couple for right ventricle support

A blood turbine-pump system (iATVA), resembling a turbocharger was proposed as a mechanical right-heart assist device without external drive power. In this study, the iATVA system is investigated with particular emphasis on the blood turbine flow dynamics. A time-resolved 2D particle image velocimetry (PIV) set-up equipped with a beam splitter and two high speed cameras, allowed simultaneous recordings from both the turbine and pump impellers at 7 different phased-locked instances. The iATVA prototype is 3D printed using an optically clear resin following our earlier PIV protocols. Results showed that magnetically coupled impellers operated synchronously. As the turbine flow rate increased from 1.6 to 2.4 LPM, the rotational speed and relative inlet flow angle increase from 630 to 900 rpm, and 38 to 55% respectively. At the trailing edges, backflow region spanned 3/5 of the total passage outlet flow, and an extra leakage flow was observed at the leading edge. For this early turbine design, approximately, 75% of the turbine blade passage was not contributing to the impulse operation mode. The maximum non-wall shear rate was ~ 2288 s−1 near to the inlet exit, which is significantly lower than the commercial blood pumps, encouraging further research and blood experiments of this novel concept. Experimental results will improve the hydrodynamic design of the turbine impeller and volute regions and will be useful in computational fluid dynamics validation studies of similar passive devices.

Free-breathing time-resolved 4D MRI with improved T1-weighting contrast.

This work proposes MP-Grasp4D (magnetization-prepared golden-angle radial sparse parallel 4D) MRI, a free-breathing, inversion recovery (IR)-prepared, time-resolved 4D MRI technique with improved T1-weighted contrast. MP-Grasp4D MRI acquisition incorporates IR preparation into a radial gradient echo sequence. MP-Grasp4D employs a golden-angle navi-stack-of-stars sampling scheme, where imaging data of rotating radial stacks and navigator stacks (acquired at a consistent rotation angle) are alternately acquired. The navigator stacks are used to estimate a temporal basis for low-rank subspace-constrained reconstruction. This allows for the simultaneous capture of both IR-induced contrast changes and respiratory motion. One temporal frame of the imaging volume in MP-Grasp4D MRI is reconstructed from a single stack and an adjacent navigator stack on average, resulting in a nominal temporal resolution of 0.16 seconds per volume. Images corresponding to the optimal inversion time (TI) can be retrospectively selected for providing the best image contrast. Reader studies were conducted to assess the performance of MP-Grasp4D MRI in liver imaging across 30 subjects in comparison with standard Grasp4D MRI without IR preparation. MP-Grasp4D MRI received significantly higher scores (P < 0.05) than Grasp4D in all assessment categories. There was a moderate to almost perfect agreement (kappa coefficient from 0.42 to 0.9) between the two readers for image quality assessment. When the scan time is reduced, MP-Grasp4D MRI preserves image contrast and quality, demonstrating additional acceleration capability. MP-Grasp4D MRI improves T1-weighted contrast for free-breathing time-resolved 4D MRI and eliminates the need for explicit motion compensation. This method is expected to be valuable in different MRI applications such as MR-guided radiotherapy.

A Refractive Index Matched Experimental Investigation Of The Dynamics Of Inertial Spheres Across Round Pipes And Buoyancy-Driven Flows

A series of refractive index-matched time-resolved tomographic PIV experiments are performed to study the dynamics of motion of solid spheres in flow. The refractive index matching of acrylic spheres with the working fluid facilitates unobstructed optical access around the spheres, enabling the simultaneous estimation of both the 3D flow field and the fluid-structure interactions governing the kinematics of the spheres. Additionally, using normal tracers as well as fluorescent tracers for PIV helps identify the most suitable approach for multiphase index-matched PIV studies. Two different test cases are presented: (1) solid spheres moving in a round channel with an abrupt area expansion and, (2) solid spheres rising in a quiescent flow at terminal velocity. Despite both falling under the category of solid-liquid flows, these cases exhibit entirely different mechanisms and flow characteristics. Nonetheless, refractive index matching provides a valuable tool that can be used to characterize the flow as well as the motion dynamics of the free spherical particles in a liquid. These time-resolved 3D experiments offer a comprehensive insight into the transient evolution of the flow fields and the pressure forces on the spheres, providing a complete picture of the dynamic process. The emphasis of the present paper lies in the experimental methodologies, challenges and data analysis techniques used for refractive index-matched multiphase flow studies.

Experimental Investigation Of Open Channel Flow Around A Hemisphere At Different Relative Depths Using 3D-PTV

In regulated rivers and small streams, the presence of large roughness elements like boulders and concrete structures significantly impacts the local flow field and creates complex hydraulic conditions important for aquatic habitats. This study focuses on investigating and analyzing the complex three-dimensional flow field around an idealized stone (represented as a hemisphere) to understand how the flow field changes for different relative depths i.e. water depth relative to boulder height, and flow rates. Time-resolved 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry was employed in laboratory experiments conducted in an open-channel flume, to mimic varying river conditions and their impact on flow characteristics. Results reveal that the relative depth significantly influences the flow structure behind the hemisphere, impacting recirculation zones and wake characteristics. The flow field behind the hemisphere was found to be more sensitive to changes in relative depth than bulk velocity. The study also highlights the larger regions of lower streamwise velocity that occurred downstream of the hemisphere caused by the lower submergences combined with a higher magnitude of the downward vertical velocity. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the capability of the measurement technique and the time-resolved 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry system used to effectively capture the complex flow dynamics around the boulder. This approach allowed for detailed visualization and quantification of flow parameters such as streamwise and vertical velocities within the wake region, which are important factors for aquatic habitats. Understanding the underlying flow dynamics around an idealized stone at low relative depths could yield insights into ecohydraulic engineering and ecological restoration in shallow streams. This can contribute to advancing our understanding of riverine flow dynamics and their ecological implications.

Near-Wall Flow Features In ZPG-TBL At Various Reynolds Numbers Using Dense 3D Lagrangian Particle Tracking

The 3D Lagrangian particle tracking method Shake-The-Box (STB) and, subsequently, the data assimilation method FlowFit3 have been applied to measure the flow field in a narrow wall-parallel volume inside the nearwall region of a zero-pressure-gradient (ZPG) turbulent boundary layer (TBL) flow at various Reynolds numbers. The STB experiments have been conducted in the 1m- wind tunnel facility of DLR in Göttingen at relatively high particle image densities (~0.07 ppp) using µm-sized DEHS particles and high-repetition pulse laser at up to 38.1 kHz. The results show that the chosen methodology is able to volumetrically resolve almost all features of the flow inside the viscous sub-, buffer- and lower logarithmic- layer in space and time at Reynolds numbers up to Re θ = 5,455. The gained data consists of time-series of spatially well resolved 3D velocity, acceleration and pressure fields, as well as a huge amount of long Lagrangian particle trajectories. Selecting the viscous sublayer part of the measurement volume provides time-series of the 2D distribution of both components of the instantaneous wall-shear stresses w,x/z . The resulting data are used for conditional and time-resolved 3D analyses of coherent structures, rare (e.g. back flow) events and two-point space-timecorrelations.

Validating Volumetric Measurements Using Helium-Filled Soap Bubbles in a Turbulent Boundary Layer And Wake Of An Axisymmetric Body Of Revolution

This study focuses on the validation of a volumetric measurement technique to characterize the turbulent boundary layers (TBL) and wake of a slender axisymmetric body. Specifically, Lagrangian Particle Tracking (LPT) was employed to analyse a TBL subjected to an adverse pressure gradient (APG) and transverse curvature at the tail of an axisymmetric body, with a Reynolds number based on model length of 3.95×10 6 . For the LPT method, a seeding rake with 100 nozzles was used to disperse helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB), which served as tracers. These tracers were illuminated by high-powered LED arrays, allowing their motion to be captured by three high-speed cameras at acquisition rates up to 20 kHz. A key aspect of this research was using shadowgraphy to measure the diameter of the bubbles exiting the nozzles and obtaining their statistical variations across the various nozzles in the seeding rake. The study identified that the diameter of bubbles averaged 0.45 mm, indicating a state of near-neutral buoyancy. The LPT results were then obtained using the shake-the-box (STB) tracking alogirthm, while ensemble bin-averaging of the scattered particle tracks was used to obtain turbulence statistics on a regular grid. To validate the LPT results, comparisons were made with time-resolved 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (TR-PIV) and highly resolved hot-wire anemometry. This comparative analysis revealed good agreement of the mean profiles across the methodologies, highlighting the robustness and accuracy of the LPT technique. While the turbulence levels in the outer layer were well captured by the LPT, some discrepancies were observed near the wall in both PIV and LPT data, indicating limitations in capturing small-scale phenomena. The implications of these findings, particularly in understanding the complex 3D flow effects of such TBLs and the resulting wake flow field are discussed.

Two-dimensional time-resolved scintillating sheet monitoring of proton pencil beam scanning FLASH mouse irradiations.

Dosimetry in pre-clinical FLASH studies is essential for understanding the beam delivery conditions that trigger the FLASH effect. Resolving the spatial and temporal characteristics of proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) irradiations with ultra-high dose rates (UHDR) requires a detector with high spatial and temporal resolution. To implement a novel camera-based system for time-resolved two-dimensional (2D) monitoring and apply it in vivo during pre-clinical proton PBS mouse irradiations. Time-resolved 2D beam monitoring was performed with a scintillation imaging system consisting of a 1mm thick transparent scintillating sheet, imaged by a CMOS camera. The sheet was placed in a water bath perpendicular to a horizontal PBS proton beam axis. The scintillation light was reflected through a system of mirrors and captured by the camera with 500 frames per second (fps) for UHDR and 4 fps for conventional dose rates. The raw images were background subtracted, geometrically transformed, flat field corrected, and spatially filtered. The system was used for 2D spot and field profile measurements and compared to radiochromic films. Furthermore, spot positions were measured for UHDR irradiations. The measured spot positions were compared to the planned positions and the relative instantaneous dose rate to equivalent fiber-coupled point scintillator measurements. For in vivo application, the scintillating sheet was placed 1cm upstream the right hind leg of non-anaesthetized mice submerged in the water bath. The mouse leg and sheet were both placed in a 5cm wide spread-out Bragg peak formed from the mono-energetic proton beam by a 2D range modulator. The mouse leg position within the field was identified for both conventional and FLASH irradiations. For the conventional irradiations, the mouse foot position was tracked throughout the beam delivery, which took place through repainting. For FLASH irradiations, the delivered spot positions and relative instantaneous dose rate were measured. The pixel size was 0.1mm for all measurements. The spot and field profiles measured with the scintillating sheet agreed with radiochromic films within 0.4mm. The standard deviation between measured and planned spot positions was 0.26mm and 0.35mm in the horizontal and vertical direction, respectively. The measured relative instantaneous dose rate showed a linear relation with the fiber-coupled scintillator measurements. For in vivo use, the leg position within the field varied between mice, and leg movement up to 3mm was detected during the prolonged conventional irradiations. The scintillation imaging system allowed for monitoring of UHDR proton PBS delivery in vivo with 0.1mm pixel size and 2ms temporal resolution. The feasibility of instantaneous dose rate measurements was demonstrated, and the system was used for validation of the mouse leg position within the field.

Real-time, depth-resolved, in vivo multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of agricultural herbicide treatments in plants

The development of effective and safe agricultural treatments requires sub-cellular insight of the biochemical effects of treatments in living tissue in real-time. Industry-standard mass spectroscopic imaging lacks real-time in vivo capability. As an alternative, multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (MPM-FLIM) allows for 3D sub-cellular quantitative metabolic imaging but is often limited to low frame rates. To resolve relatively fast effects (e.g., photosynthesis inhibiting treatments), high-frame-rate MPM-FLIM is needed. In this paper, we demonstrate and evaluate a high-speed MPM-FLIM system, “Instant FLIM”, as a time-resolved 3D sub-cellular molecular imaging system in highly scattering, living plant tissues. We demonstrate simultaneous imaging of cellular autofluorescence and crystalline agrochemical crystals within plant tissues. We further quantitatively investigate the herbicidal effects of two classes of agricultural herbicide treatments, photosystem II inhibiting herbicide (Basagran) and auxin-based herbicide (Arylex), and successfully demonstrate the capability of the MPM-FLIM system to measure biological changes over a short time with enhanced imaging speed. Results indicate that high-frame-rate 3D MPM-FLIM achieves the required fluorescence lifetime resolution, temporal resolution, and spatial resolution to be a useful tool in basic plant cellular biology research and agricultural treatment development.

Respiratory motion modelling for MR-guided lung cancer radiotherapy: model development and geometric accuracy evaluation.

Objective.Respiratory motion of lung tumours and adjacent structures is challenging for radiotherapy. Online MR-imaging cannot currently provide real-time volumetric information of the moving patient anatomy, therefore limiting precise dose delivery, delivered dose reconstruction, and downstream adaptation methods.Approach.We tailor a respiratory motion modelling framework towards an MR-Linac workflow to estimate the time-resolved 4D motion from real-time data. We develop a multi-slice acquisition scheme which acquires thick, overlapping 2D motion-slices in different locations and orientations, interleaved with 2D surrogate-slices from a fixed location. The framework fits a motion model directly to the input data without the need for sorting or binning to account for inter- and intra-cycle variation of the breathing motion. The framework alternates between model fitting and motion-compensated super-resolution image reconstruction to recover a high-quality motion-free image and a motion model. The fitted model can then estimate the 4D motion from 2D surrogate-slices. The framework is applied to four simulated anthropomorphic datasets and evaluated against known ground truth anatomy and motion. Clinical applicability is demonstrated by applying our framework to eight datasets acquired on an MR-Linac from four lung cancer patients.Main results.The framework accurately reconstructs high-quality motion-compensated 3D images with 2 mm3isotropic voxels. For the simulated case with the largest target motion, the motion model achieved a mean deformation field error of 1.13 mm. For the patient cases residual error registrations estimate the model error to be 1.07 mm (1.64 mm), 0.91 mm (1.32 mm), and 0.88 mm (1.33 mm) in superior-inferior, anterior-posterior, and left-right directions respectively for the building (application) data.Significance.The motion modelling framework estimates the patient motion with high accuracy and accurately reconstructs the anatomy. The image acquisition scheme can be flexibly integrated into an MR-Linac workflow whilst maintaining the capability of online motion-management strategies based on cine imaging such as target tracking and/or gating.

Experimental study on time-resolved 3D ice accretion shape measurements in large-scale icing wind tunnel

Experimental study on time-resolved 3D ice accretion shape measurements in large-scale icing wind tunnel

Comparison of Echo-Planar Imaging and Compressed Sensing in the Estimation of Flow Metrics from Aortic 4D Flow MR Imaging: A Healthy Volunteer Study.

Prolonged scanning of time-resolved 3D phase-contrast MRI (4D flow MRI) limits its routine use in clinical practice. An echo-planar imaging (EPI)-based sequence and compressed sensing can reduce the scan duration. We aimed to determine the impact of EPI for 4D flow MRI on the scan duration, image quality, and quantitative flow metrics. This was a prospective study of 15 healthy volunteers (all male, mean age 33 ± 5 years). Conventional sensitivity encoding (SENSE), EPI with SENSE (EPI), and compressed SENSE (CS) (reduction factors: 6 and 12, respectively) were scanned.Scan duration, qualitative indexes of image quality, and quantitative flow parameters of net flow volume, maximum flow velocity, wall shear stress (WSS), and energy loss (EL) in the ascending aorta were assessed. Two-dimensional phase-contrast cine MRI (2D-PC) was considered the gold standard of net flow volume and maximum flow velocity. Compared to SENSE, EPI and CS12 shortened scan durations by 71% and 73% (EPI, 4 min 39 sec; CS6, 7 min 29 sec; CS12, 4 min 14 sec; and SENSE, 15 min 51 sec). Visual image quality was significantly better for EPI than for SENSE and CS (P < 0.001). The net flow volumes obtained with SENSE, EPI, and CS12 and those obtained with 2D-PC were correlated well (r = 0.950, 0.871, and 0.850, respectively). However, the maximum velocity obtained with EPI was significantly underestimated (P < 0.010). The average WSS was significantly higher with EPI than with SENSE, CS6, and CS12 (P < 0.001, P = 0.040, and P = 0.012, respectively). The EL was significantly lower with EPI than with CS6 and CS12 (P = 0.002 and P = 0.007, respectively). EPI reduced the scan duration, improved visual image quality, and was associated with more accurate net flow volume than CS. However, the flow velocity, WSS, and EL values obtained with EPI and other sequences may not be directly comparable.

Kiosk 3R-TC-05 - Time-resolved 3D MRI Volumetry of the Fetal Heart Using a Novel Combination of Doppler Ultrasound Gating and Motion-corrected Slice-volume Registration

Kiosk 3R-TC-05 - Time-resolved 3D MRI Volumetry of the Fetal Heart Using a Novel Combination of Doppler Ultrasound Gating and Motion-corrected Slice-volume Registration

Automatic Segmentation of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms from Time-Resolved 3D Ultrasound Images Using Deep Learning.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are rupture-prone dilatations of the aorta. In current clinical practice, the maximal diameter of AAAs is monitored with 2D ultrasound to estimate their rupture risk. Recent studies have shown that 3-dimensional and mechanical AAA parameters might be better predictors for aneurysm growth and rupture than the diameter. These parameters can be obtained with time-resolved 3D ultrasound (3D+t US), which requires robust and automatic segmentation of AAAs from 3D+t US. This study proposes and validates a deep learning (DL) approach for automatic segmentation of AAAs. 500 AAA patients were included for follow-up 3D+t US imaging, resulting in 2495 3D+t US images. Segmentation masks for model training were obtained using a conventional automatic segmentation algorithm ('nonDL'). Four different DL models were trained and validated by (1) comparison to CT and (2) reader scoring. Performance of the nonDL and different DL segmentation strategies were evaluated by comparing Hausdorff distance, Dice scores, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity with a sign test. All DL models had higher median Dice scores, accuracy, and sensitivity (all p < 0.003) compared to nonDL segmentation. The full image-resolution model without data augmentation showed the highest median Dice score and sensitivity (p < 0.001). Applying the DL model on an independent test group produced fewer poor segmentation scores of 1 to 2 on a five-point scale (8% for DL, 18% for nonDL). This demonstrates that a robust and automatic segmentation algorithm for segmenting abdominal aortic aneurysms from 3D+t US images was developed, showing improved performance compared to conventional segmentation.

Ultrafast Laser-Induced Dynamics of Non-Equilibrium Electron Spill-Out in Nanoplasmonic Bilayers.

Contemporary quantum plasmonics capture subtle corrections to the properties of plasmonic nano-objects in equilibrium. Here, we demonstrate non-equilibrium spill-out redistribution of the electronic density at the ultrafast time scale. As revealed by time-resolved 2D spectroscopy of nanoplasmonic Fe/Au bilayers, an injection of the laser-excited non-thermal electrons induces transient electron spill-out thus changing the plasma frequency. The response of the local electronic density switches the electronic density behavior from spill-in to strong (an order of magnitude larger) spill-out at the femtosecond time scale. The superdiffusive transport of hot electrons and the lack of a direct laser heating indicate significantly non-thermal origin of the underlying physics. Our results demonstrate an ultrafast and non-thermal way to control surface plasmon dispersion through transient variations of the spatial electron distribution at the nanoscale. These findings expand quantum plasmonics into previously unexplored directions by introducing ultrashort time scales in the non-equilibrium electronic systems.

Time-Resolved 3D Hammett Correlation to Monitor Catalyst Behavior with No Differential Data in Hand

Time-Resolved 3D Hammett Correlation to Monitor Catalyst Behavior with No Differential Data in Hand

3D trajectory, morphology and phase discrimination of burning Al/AP propellant particles with time-resolved astigmatic dual-beam interferometric particle imaging

This work implements astigmatic dual-beam interferometric particle imaging (ADIPI) in propellant combustion diagnostics to enable the measurement of the three-dimensional (3D) spatial position and particle morphology of opaque particles. The ADIPI allows the discrimination of different substances, such as metal droplets, flames, and pyrolysis residues. A general theoretical model based on the generalized Huygens-Fresnel integral and the ray transfer matrix model is developed to describe the identification of ADIPI signals for regular and irregular particles. An experimental system combining a 13 kHz time-resolved ADIPI with digital in-line holography (DIH) is built to enable simultaneous measurements of the propellant combustion field. The typical ADIPI signals presented by different substances in the combustion field are analyzed by comparing the experimental results of DIH. The time-resolved 3D trajectory reconstruction of burning particles and the measurement of irregular particle size and morphology are realized. Due to the effect of the flame, the average deviation of the depth locating of the particles is 1.4 mm with a standard deviation of 1.0 mm. The average deviation value of the depth position relative to the measured distance is 1%. In propellant combustion measurements, the motion of burning particles can be accurately determined, proving its feasibility and practicality.

Efficacy of Whole-Blood Model of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agent Relaxivity in Predicting Vascular MR Signal Intensity In Vivo.

Previous in vitro studies have described sub-linear longitudinal and heightened transverse H2O relaxivities of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in blood due to their extracellular nature. However, in vivo validation is lacking. Validate theory describing blood behavior of R1 and R2* in an animal model. Prospective, animal. Seven swine (54-65 kg). 1.5 T; time-resolved 3D spoiled gradient-recalled echo (SPGR) and quantitative Look-Locker and multi-echo fast field echo sequences. Seven swine were each injected three times with 0.1 mmol/kg intravenous doses of one of three GBCAs: gadoteridol, gadobutrol, and gadobenate dimeglumine. Injections were randomized for rate (1, 2, and 3 mL/s) and order, during which time-resolved aortic 3D SPGR imaging was performed concurrently with aortic blood sampling via an indwelling catheter. Time-varying [GBCA] was measured by mass spectrometry of sampled blood. Predicted signal intensity (SI) was determined from a model incorporating sub-linear R1 and R2* effects (whole-blood model) and simpler models incorporating linear R1, with and without R2* effects. Predicted SIs were compared to measured aortic SI. Linear correlation (coefficient of determination, R2) and mean errors were compared across the SI prediction models. There was an excellent correlation between predicted and measured SI across all injections and swine when accounting for the non-linear dependence of R1 and high blood R2* (regression slopes 0.91-1.04, R2 ≥ 0.91). Simplified models (linear R1 with and without R2* effects) showed poorer correlation (slopes 0.67-0.85 and 0.54-0.64 respectively, both R2 ≥ 0.89) and higher averaged mean absolute and mean square errors (128.4 and 177.4 vs. 42.0, respectively, and 5506 and 11,419 vs. 699, respectively). Incorporating sub-linear R1 and high first-pass R2* effects in arterial blood models allows accurate SPGR SI prediction in an in vivo animal model, and might be utilized when modeling MR blood SI. 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

4D-DSA for Assessment of the Angioarchitecture and Grading of Cranial Dural AVF.

Time-resolved 3D rotational angiography (4D-DSA) has been used to demonstrate details of the angioarchitecture of AVM, whereas it has rarely been used to describe features of dural AVF. In this exploratory study, we analyzed dural AVFs with a novel 4D software prototype, developed and provided by Siemens, to determine whether identification of the location of the fistulous point, grading, and treatment planning were feasible. 4D-DSA volumes were calculated from existing 3D rotational angiography data sets of patients with dural AVFs. The 4D-DSA volumes were displayed in a virtual DSA mode and MPR or MIP in 3 orthogonal planes and compared with 2D-DSA by 2 experienced neuroradiologists. Fusions with unenhanced CT or MR images were used to improve visualization of adjacent anatomic structures. Comparison with 2D-DSA showed that evaluation of the fistulous point and grading according to the classification of Borden, Cognard, or Barrow was feasible in 26 of 27 cases. In 8 of 27 cases, 4D-DSA was considered advantageous for determining the fistulous point and the course of the draining vein in the dural AVF with cortical venous drainage, especially in the frontoethmoidal and frontoparietal regions. In 6 cases, the display of angioarchitecture was considered inferior to that of 2D-DSA due to motion artifacts, suboptimal selection of the injected vessel, and lack of temporal resolution. Detailed analysis of dural AVFs according to the standardized display of 4D-DSA volumes was feasible and helpful in understanding the angioarchitecture in selected cases. Further improvement and validation of the 4D software should solidify the complementary role of 4D-DSA to conventional 2D-DSA series.