Correction of proton resonance frequency shift temperature maps for magnetic field disturbances using fat signal

PURPOSE: To improve the immunity of the proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) method of MRI temperature mapping against magnetic field disturbances. Since PRFS is a phase-sensitive method, it misinterprets magnetic field disturbances as artifact temperature changes. If not corrected, the resulting temperature artifacts can completely obscure the true temperature estimation, especially if the temperature elevations are small. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Since the fat protons experience the same magnetic field disturbances as the water protons, but no temperature-related frequency shift, the fat signal has been used for correcting PRFS temperature maps for the disturbances. A simple correction method is proposed that has either better compensation capability than the phase correction methods previously reported or higher spatial and temporal resolution than the spectroscopic correction methods previously reported. The evaluated method is based on the utilization of several gradient and spin echoes acquired within one repetition interval with water- and fat-selective scans. RESULTS: In a series of phantom experiments, the improved method is shown to enable the reconstruction of accurate temperature maps in spite of interscan motion, suboptimal fat-water separation, and a wide range of magnetic field disturbances. CONCLUSION: Our approach can be used for the guidance of thermal therapies involving tissues containing fat or surrounded by fat.     

两种场强磁共振IDEAL-IQ序列对质子密度脂肪分数和铁含量定量分析的初步对比研究

目的 比较3.0 T和1.5 T MR最小二乘法估计和不对称回波迭代分解水和脂肪成像（IDEAL-IQ）序列质子密度脂肪分数（PDFF）和铁含量（R2*）测量值的异同。 方法 于2019年12月选取佛山市第一人民医院健康志愿者20名[其中男性13名、女性7名,年龄（23.7±2.5）岁]并用不同脂肪含量的塑料试管模型进行前瞻性研究,分别在3.0 T（A组）和1.5 T（B组）2台 MRI设备上应用IDEAL-IQ序列进行扫描。在自动生成的FatFrac图和R2*图上自动勾画感兴趣区（ROI）,分别测量模型、健康志愿者的肝脏和皮下脂肪的PDFF、R2*值。符合正态分布的计量资料采用配对样本t检验（方差齐）和Mann-Whitney U检验（方差不齐）进行比较。 结果 模型A1组和B1组PDFF的测量平均值分别为（20.59±14.39）%和（21.89±14.95）%,差异无统计学意义（Z=−1.550,P=0.121）;A1组和B1组R2*的测量平均值分别为（84.86±116.43） Hz和（43.61±54.59） Hz,差异有统计学意义（Z=−3.448,P=0.001）。健康志愿者3.0 T和1.5 T MRI肝脏、皮下脂肪PDFF测量平均值分别为（3.33±2.95） %和（4.39±2.80） %、（81.78±6.33） %和（81.54±5.53） %,差异均无统计学意义（Z=−1.867、t=−0.301,均P>0.05）;A组肝脏、皮下脂肪的R2*测量平均值为（52.42±12.22） Hz、（50.88±10.32） Hz,分别高于对应的B组[（32.73±5.62） Hz、（39.41±9.11） Hz],且差异均有统计学意义（Z=−3.920、t=4.372,均P<0.001）。 结论 基于IDEAL-IQ序列的3.0 T和1.5 T MR模型、健康志愿者肝脏和皮下脂肪的PDFF测量值的差异无统计学意义,但3.0 T MRI的PDFF测量值可能比1.5 T MRI更接近临床实际情况;2种场强获得的R2*值的差异有统计学意义,其影响因素需进一步研究。     

Actual flip-angle imaging in the pulsed steady state: a method for rapid three-dimensional mapping of the transmitted radiofrequency field.

A new method has been developed for fast image-based measurements of the transmitted radiofrequency (RF) field. The method employs an actual flip-angle imaging (AFI) pulse sequence that consists of two identical RF pulses followed by two delays of different duration (TR(1) < TR(2)). After each pulse, a gradient-echo (GRE) signal is acquired. It has been shown theoretically and experimentally that if delays TR(1) and TR(2) are sufficiently short and the transverse magnetization is completely spoiled, the ratio r = S(2)/S(1) of signal intensities S(1) and S(2), acquired at the beginning of the time intervals TR(1) and TR(2), depends on the flip angle (FA) of applied pulses as r = (1 + n * cos(FA))/(n + cos(FA)), where n = TR(2)/TR(1). The method allows fast 3D implementation and provides accurate B(1) measurements that are highly insensitive to T(1). The unique feature of the AFI method is that it uses a pulsed steady-state signal acquisition. This overcomes the limitation of previous methods that required long relaxation delays between sequence repetitions. The method has been shown to be useful for time-efficient whole-body B(1) mapping and correction of T(1) maps obtained using a variable FA technique in the presence of nonuniform RF excitation.     

Reduction of B1 sensitivity in selective single‐slab 3d turbo spin echo imaging with very long echo trains

Single‐slab 3D turbo/fast spin echo (SE) imaging with very long echo trains was recently introduced with slab selection using a highly selective excitation pulse and short, nonselective refocusing pulses with variable flip angles for high imaging efficiency. This technique, however, is vulnerable to image degradation in the presence of spatially varying B₁ amplitudes. In this work we develop a B₁ inhomogeneity‐reduced version of single‐slab 3D turbo/fast SE imaging based on the hypothesis that it is critical to achieve spatially uniform excitation. Slab selection was performed using composite adiabatic selective excitation wherein magnetization is tipped into the transverse plane by a nonselective adiabatic‐half‐passage pulse and then slab is selected by a pair of selective adiabatic‐full‐passage pulses. Simulations and experiments were performed to evaluate the proposed technique and demonstrated that this approach is a simple and efficient way to reduce B₁ sensitivity in single‐slab 3D turbo/fast SE imaging with very long echo trains. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.