Novel Dynamic Liver Imaging Method with Flexible Temporal and Spatial Resolution

描述（由申请人提供）：肝癌对公共卫生造成越来越大的负担。目前，3D多相对比增强MR检查用于将动脉与静脉血液供应分离到任何病变，以确定其是否为恶性。它在很大程度上依赖于患者维持屏气的能力，但在相当多的患者中，这种能力受到损害，导致图像质量急剧下降。它还依赖于操作员的精确推注定时，使得在右峰值动脉增强处采集第一个所谓的肝动脉期。团注时间错误导致增强模式的次优视图，对准确诊断肝脏疾病的能力产生负面影响。本研究的长期目标是提高肝脏MR成像检测肝细胞癌和其他恶性肿瘤的鲁棒性和准确性。本研究的目的，作为该目标的一部分，是开发一个强大的图像采集和可视化技术。本研究的假设是，该技术消除了这些要求，并以最佳方式向读者呈现所有可用的动态信息。提出的研究的基本原理是，一个强大的和准确的动态成像方法，使所有必要的造影剂摄取和冲洗信息的快速提取，以准确诊断肝脏病变。为了检验该假设，追求以下两个具体目标：1）开发具有高时间和空间分辨率的三维时间分辨对比增强自由呼吸成像序列以及交互式四维可视化和后处理引擎，以及2）在患者研究中评价所开发的自由呼吸肝脏MRI序列的诊断性能。这项研究的预期成果是一种交互式的动态磁共振成像方法的肝脏，将显着改善肝脏病变的检测和表征的方式。这种技术可能会产生积极的影响，因为它预计将增加肝脏MRI的灵敏度和特异性，并减少对肝脏活检的需求以及对患者合作和操作员技能的依赖。. 公共卫生相关性：这项拟议的研究与公共卫生有关，因为如果成功完成，预计将提高肝脏MRI的灵敏度和特异性。它将减少对肝活检的需要，并减少对患者合作和操作者技能的依赖。它可能会导致肝细胞癌分期和肝移植评分分配的显着改善。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Liver cancer presents an increasing burden on public health. Currently, a 3D multi-phase contrast-enhanced MR exam is used to separate the arterial from the venous blood supply to any lesion to determine whether it is malignant or not. It relies heavily on the ability of the patient to sustain a breath-hold, but in a considerable subset of patients, this ability is compromised, leading to a sharp decrease in image quality. It also relies on accurate bolus timing by the operator, such that the first so-called hepatic arterial phase is acquired at the right peak arterial enhancement. Bolus timing errors lead to a suboptimal view of the enhancement pattern, negatively affecting the ability to accurately diagnose liver disease. The long-term goal of this research is to improve the robustness and accuracy of MR imaging of the liver for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma and other malignancies. The objective of this research, as part of that goal, is to develop a robust image acquisition and visualization technology. The hypothesis in this research is that this technology eliminates these requirements and optimally presents all available dynamic information to the reader. The rationale for the proposed research is that a robust and accurate dynamic imaging method enables the fast extraction of all necessary contrast uptake and washout information for the accurate diagnosis of liver lesions. To test the hypothesis, the following two specific aims are pursued: 1) develop a three-dimensional time-resolved contrast-enhanced free-breathing imaging sequence with high temporal and spatial resolution together with an interactive four-dimensional visualization and post-processing engine, and 2) evaluate the diagnostic performance of the developed free-breathing liver MRI sequence in a patient study. The expected outcome of this research is an interactive dynamic MR imaging method of the liver that will significantly improve the way liver lesions are detected and characterized. Such a technique is likely to have a positive impact, since it expected to increase the sensitivity and specificity of liver MRI and to reduce the need for liver biopsy and the reliance on patient cooperation and operator skill. . PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research is relevant to public health because, if completed successfully, it is expected to increase the sensitivity and specificity of liver MRI. It will reduce the need for liver biopsy and the reliance on patient cooperation and operator skill. It is likely to lead to significant improvements in the staging of hepatocellular carcinomas and in the assignment of ranking scores for liver transplantation.