Sliding window dual gradient echo (SW-dGRE): T1 and proton resonance frequency (PRF) calibration for temperature imaging in polyacrylamide gel

The aim of the work is to evaluate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) thermometry sequence suitable for targeting of focused ultrasound (FUS) when used in vascular occlusion studies. A sliding window dual gradient echo (SW-dGRE) sequence was used. This sequence has the capability of monitoring both T1 relaxation and phase changes, which vary with temperature. Preliminary work involved quantification of the changes in T1 relaxation time with temperature and obtaining the PRF shift coefficient in polyacrylamide gel as it underwent an exothermic reaction during polymerization (avoiding the use of an external heat source). Temperature changes were visualized using thermal maps acquired with the sequence. For FUS guidance a thermal imaging technique is required with a temporal resolution <5 s, a spatial resolution of approximately 1 mm and a temperature resolution of approximately 5 degrees C. The sequence was optimized to improve the CNR (contrast to noise ratio) and SNR (signal to noise ratio) in the phase and magnitude images respectively. The PRF coefficient obtained for the polyacrylamide gel was -9.98 +/- 0.24 ppb degrees C(-1), whilst deltaT1 and temperature change were related by a proportionality factor, the T1 temperature coefficient, of 102.3 +/- 2.9 ms degrees C(-1). The sequence produces an image at every 1.4 s interval. In both magnitude and phase data, the in-plane resolution is +/- 1.2 mm and the temperature resolution is approximately 2 degrees C. The advantage of this sequence is that the temperature obtained from the magnitude data can be confirmed independently using the phase data and vice versa. Thus the sequence can essentially be crosschecked.