Novel radial MRI methods for abdominal imaging

描述（由申请人提供）： 拟议项目的主要目标是开发新的放射状磁共振成像（MRI）方法，用于身体成像，以提高诊断和减少成像时间。所提出的方法是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空间数据集获得具有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提供了与2DFT单次激发方法相当的运动不敏感性，而不影响空间分辨率。此外，使用RAD-FSE的小肿瘤（0.5- 1cm 3）的检测显著提高。该技术的一个独特特征是，可以通过后处理从单个RAD-FSE k空间数据集获得的T2图来表征良性和恶性病变。因此，径向采集和后处理方法的组合使用可以显着提高病变检测和病变表征，以及减少成像时间。拟议工作的具体目标是：（1）进一步开发放射状MRI方法，以提高技术的时间效率，同时保持图像质量;（2）开发和评价替代后处理方法，以改善小病变的表征;（3）在1.5 T磁场的临床研究中验证目标1和2中提出的采集和后处理策略;（4）发展和评价3.0T磁场下的径向方法。总体目标是开发采集和后处理方法，然后表明这些方法可以改善肿瘤的检测和表征。

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.