In-vivo glucoCEST MRI - The future of organ metabolic imaging

胎儿代谢成像目前尚无法获得，但其发展是了解胎儿发育和生理的关键。由于葡萄糖是胎儿的主要能量来源，因此能够成像胎儿器官对葡萄糖的摄取和利用可以揭示胎儿器官生长和功能的新信息。在拟议的研究中，行业合作伙伴希望开发一种非侵入性成像技术，通过不同的胎儿器官追踪葡萄糖代谢。这项技术的核心是核磁共振成像（MRI），它没有有害的辐射，被认为对母亲和胎儿是安全的。行业合作伙伴已经开始开发这项技术，但目前它仍然是一个不可用的产品。在拟议的合作中，我们将进一步开发这项技术，以将其转化为可用的、可销售的成像产品。**我们将对现有的行业**产品进行分析、计算机模拟、优化和测试，从而提高其在胎儿成像中的能力和效用。由此产生的改进和可销售的产品将解决当前胎儿成像的技术差距，同时满足对代谢过程成像的非侵入性手段日益增长的需求。该项目的成功完成将为西门子带来巨大的价值，因为它在技术能力方面推动了胎儿成像的界限，使新的技术能够在此基础上建立，同时促进了在加拿大和国际上理解母胎生理学的新的科学途径。

Imaging of fetal metabolism is currently unavailable but its development is key to understanding fetal**development and physiology. Since glucose is the primary source of energy for the fetus, being able to image**its uptake and utilization by the fetal organs could reveal new information about fetal organ growth and**function.**In the proposed study, the industry partner would like to develop a non-invasive imaging technique that traces**glucose metabolism by the different fetal organs. The technique pivots on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),**which has no harmful radiation and is considered safe for the mother and the fetus. The industry partner has**started developing this technique, yet it is currently still an unusable product. In the proposed collaboration we**will work on further developing this technique in order to turn it into a usable, marketable imaging product.**We will carry out analysis, computer simulation, optimization, and testing of the currently available industry**product, thereby improving its capabilities and utility in fetal imaging. The resulting improved and marketable**product will address a current technical gap in fetal imaging whiles satisfying a growing need for non-invasive**means of imaging metabolic processes. The successful completion of this project will bring tremendous value**to Siemens as it pushes the boundaries of fetal imaging in terms of technical capabilities, allowing new**techniques to build on it while facilitating new scientific avenues in understanding maternal-fetal physiology in**Canada and internationally.