MRI OF HUMAN CORONARY ARTERIES

人体冠状动脉磁共振成像研究 动脉是根据目前的合同进行的， NHLBI。 我们已经证明，MRI检测到大约一半的 冠状动脉造影发现左主干病变， 前降支、旋支近端和右侧近端 冠状动脉 实现这些成果的关键因素是 使用心脏同步门控和循环多节段 显像 本研究中使用的硬件在继续改进， 这为技术创新提供了新的机会。 这些改进可能导致更好的临床结果。 还有， 可以探索不同的技术。 具体而言，我们建议 调查1.优化面内空间分辨率以匹配 冠状动脉影像的需求; 2.影响的研究 血管显著性切片厚度，包括后处理 通过选择性地增加部分; 3.提高时间分辨率， 以50毫秒而不是100毫秒对动脉位置进行采样 毫秒间隔; 4.成像平面的角度调整， 采集和后处理，以改善血管可视化; 5.使用部分翻转成像来减少来自 心肌和增加信号从血液中，以使 动脉显示为阳性对比特征。 此组件将 包括一种分析方法，以制定最佳顺序， 参数; 6.使用相位信息来检测流量; 7. 开发软件，提供 冠状血管系统;和8.回波平面的表征 人体冠状动脉成像。 技术确认 将在正常志愿者中进行，临床评估将 在接受过冠状动脉造影的患者中进行 动脉造影 由于其非侵入性，MRI是理想的纵向 研究旨在了解人类 动脉粥样硬化性疾病

Research on Magnetic Resonance Imaging of human coronary arteries is being carried out under a current contract from the NHLBI. We have demonstrated that MRI detects about half of the lesions found by coronary arteriography in the left main, left anterior descending, proximal circumflex, and proximal right coronary arteries. Key ingredients in achieving these results are the use heart-synchronized gating and of cycled multi-section imaging. The hardware used in this study continues to improve in performance and this offers new opportunities for technical improvements that may results in better clinical results. Also, different techniques can be explored. Specifically, we propose to investigate 1. Optimization of in-plane spatial resolution to match the needs of coronary images; 2. Investigation of the effects of section thickness on vessel conspicuity, including post-processing by selective addition of sections; 3. Increasing time resolution, to sample the position of the arteries at 50 msec rather than 100 msec intervals; 4. Angling of the imaging plane, both during acquisition and by post-processing to improve vessel visualization; 5. Using partial flip imaging to decrease signal from the myocardium and increase the signal from blood, so as to make the arteries show as positive contrast features. This component will include an analytical approach to developing the optimal sequence parameters; 6. use of phase information to detect flow; 7. Development of software to provide three-dimensional maps of the coronary vasculature; and 8. Characterization of echo planar imaging of the human coronary arteries. Technical validations will be done with normal volunteers, and clinical evaluations will be performed in patients who have undergone coronary arteriography. Because of its non-invasiveness, MRI is ideal for longitudinal studies designed to lead to an understanding of human atherosclerotic disease.