Novel radial MRI methods for abdominal imaging

描述(由申请人提供)： 该项目的主要目标是开发用于人体成像的新的放射状磁共振成像(MRI)方法，以提高诊断水平并缩短成像时间。提出的方法基于新的径向数据采集策略和一种新的后处理算法，用于从单个k空间数据集中获取不同信号权重的图像。初步结果表明，与传统的2DFT MRI相比，T2加权径向快速自旋回波(RAD-FSE)方法可以显著改善腹部成像。RAD-FSE在不影响空间分辨率的情况下，提供了与2DFT单次拍摄方法相当的运动不敏感度。此外，RAD-FSE对小肿瘤(0.5-1 cm~3)的检测能力显著提高。该技术的一个独特特征是，通过后处理，可以根据从单个RAD-FSE k空间数据集获得的T2图来表征良恶性病变。因此，结合使用径向采集和后处理方法，可以显着提高病变检测和病变定性，并减少成像时间。拟议工作的具体目标是：(1)进一步开发放射状MRI方法，以提高该技术的时间效率，同时保持图像质量；(2)开发和评估替代的后处理方法，以改善小病变的特征；(3)在1.5T的磁场下，在临床研究中验证AIMS 1和2中提出的采集和后处理策略；(4)发展和评价3.0T磁场下的放射状扫描方法。总体目标是发展采集和后处理方法，并证明这些方法可以改善肿瘤的检测和定性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The main goal of the proposed project is to develop novel radial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for body imaging to improve diagnosis and reduce imaging time. The proposed methods are based in novel acquisition strategies of radial data and a novel post-processing algorithm used to obtain images with different signal weighting from a single k-space data set. Preliminary results show that significant improvements in abdominal imaging can be achieved with a T2-weighted radial fast-spin echo (RAD-FSE) method compared to conventional 2DFT MRI. RAD-FSE provides motion insensitivity comparable to 2DFT single-shot methods, without compromising spatial resolution. Moreover, the detection of small neoplasms (0.5-1 cm3) with RAD-FSE is significantly improved. A unique feature of the technique is that characterization of benign and malignant lesions can be done from T2 maps obtained from a single RAD-FSE k-space data set via post-processing. Thus the combined use of radial acquisition and post-processing methods can significantly improve lesion detection and lesion characterization as well as reduce imaging time. The specific aims of the proposed work are: (1) to further develop radial MRI methods to improve the time efficiency of the technique while preserving image quality; (2) to develop and evaluate alternative post-processing methods to improve characterization of small lesions; (3) to validate the acquisition and post-processing strategies proposed in Aims 1 and 2 in a clinical study at a magnetic field of 1.5 T; (4) to develop and evaluate radial methods at a magnetic field of 3.0 T. The overall goal is to develop the acquisition and post-processing methods and then to show that these lead to improve detection and characterization of neoplasms.