Development and implementation of high-resolution imaging techniques and post-processing methods for hyperpolarised magnetic resonance imaging

超极化磁共振成像是一项尖端技术，使我们能够以一种超越任何其他当前临床成像技术能力的方式，无创地绘制肺功能（氙-129）和代谢（碳-13）。我们已经证明了这些技术能够检测出covid后呼吸困难患者肺部的其他不可见病理（Grist等人，2021年，放射学），并且它们有望在肿瘤学和神经学中提供快速读出的药物疗效（Grist等人，JCBFM， 2020年）。药物疗效的早期读数为NHS提供了多种节省成本的措施，如果检测到其他不可见的病理或缺乏治疗反应，患者可以迅速转移到更合适的治疗方法。反过来，这将大大提高个体患者接受的护理质量，使我们进一步走向个性化医疗。我们与GE医疗集团合作多年，将这两种技术从临床前应用到临床领域，现在是将这两种技术进一步推向临床环境的绝佳机会。临床采用这些技术的关键是开发和验证获取（提高空间分辨率或了解我们检测到的信号的时间动态）和处理数据（应用新的后处理方法，如代谢清除率绘图）的新方法-最终目标是获得的高质量图像可供医院PACS系统上的放射工作人员随时使用。该项目将涉及开发新的数据采集策略（例如通过采样加速或3D编码策略来提高图像中的信噪比）以及后处理方法（例如动态建模和与传统成像数据的自动非刚性共配准）。这些策略将在志愿者和患者身上使用，我们已经有资金对他们进行扫描。该学生将在牛津临床磁共振研究中心（OCMR，碳-13超偏振器的所在地）和丘吉尔医院（氙超偏振器的所在地）工作，提供多样化和良好的学习环境。

Hyperpolarised magnetic resonance imaging is a cutting-edge technology that enables us to non-invasively map lung function (Xenon-129) and metabolism (carbon-13) in a way that is beyond the ability of any other current clinical imaging technology.We have demonstrated the ability of these technologies to detect otherwise invisible pathology in the lungs of breathless patients post-COVID (Grist et al, 2021, Radiology) and they hold great promise to provide a rapid read out drug efficacy in oncology and neurology (Grist et al, JCBFM, 2020). Early readout of drug efficacy allows for multiple cost-saving measures for the NHS, with patients being quickly moved to more appropriate therapies if either otherwise invisible pathology or a lack of therapeutic response is detected. In turn, this will provide a large improvement in the quality of care an individual patient receives - moving us further toward personalised medicine. We have partnered with GE Healthcare for several years to translate both techniques from the pre-clinical to the clinical arena, and now there is a golden opportunity to push them both further into the clinical environment.Key to the clinical adoption of these techniques is the development and validation of new ways of both acquiring (to either increase spatial resolution or understand temporal dynamics of the signals that we detect) and processing data (applying novel post-processing methods such as metabolic clearance mapping) - with the eventual aim that the high quality images obtained are readily available for radiological staff on the hospital PACS system.This project will involve the development of novel data acquisition strategies (for example acceleration through under sampling or 3D encoding strategies to boost the signal to noise ratio in our images) as well as post-processing methods (such as kinetic modelling and automated non-rigid co-registration with conventional imaging data). Strategies will be employed in volunteers and patients, which we already have funding to scan. The student will work across both the Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research (OCMR, where the carbon-13 hyperpolariser is based) and the Churchill Hospital (where the Xenon hyperpolariser is based), providing a varied and well supported learning environment.