Aims and objectives
The acquisition protocol in standard practice for brain study MRI has an approximate duration of 25 minutes.
We have introduced syntetic MRI sequences in our protocol that would significantly reduce the duration of the investigation deriving images with different weightings.
Methods and materials
The study was conducted using a CANON Vantage Titan MRI System : we examited 30 patients using a 3 Tesla field and 32-channel coil.
The The sequences used for our purpose are [T2]-multi-TE-FSE2D and [T1]-MP2RAGE-(3D),
the images obtained have been reconstructed on the dedicated workstation with OLEA medical software (olea sphere 3.0) .
MP2RAGE is 3-dimensional FFE sequence acquired with two different TI and Flip Angle values for the same slab at the same time.
FSE2D multi-Echo is 2-dimensional FSE sequence to acquire image data...
Results
The analysis showed that with these new sequences,
during the scan,
the protocol’s duration increased of 6:53 minutes.
The post processing phase showed that after 27 seconds we are able to view T1 & T2 maps and after 47 seconds we have generated T1W,T2W,DIR,FLAIR images.
All the images generated would be ready on PACS at 1:50 minutes.
On the other hand,
substituting standard T1,
T2,
FLAIR,
and DIR sequences with out syntetic MRI protocol would allow for a shortening of the acquisition time down to...
Conclusion
SynteticMRI would reduce the acquisition time of a brain MRI of 4 mins and 57 seconds.
Another study is currently in progress to understand if these sequences are clinically equivalent to their standard counterparts.
Waiting for the definitive datas,
the results show that this kind of approach would surely be able to reduce the scan times,
allowing even more images if compared to the standard protocol with the possibility of diagnosing directly from the T1 and T2 Maps.
References
* Van de Moortele PF,
Auerbach EJ,
Olman C,
Yacoub E,
Ugurbil K,
et al..
(2009) T(1) weighted brain images at 7 Tesla unbiased for Proton Density,T(2)() contrast and RF coil receive B(1) sensitivity with simultaneous vessel visualization.
Neuroimage.
* Marques JP,
Kober T,
Krueger G,
van der Zwaag W,
Van de Moortele PF,
et al.
(2010) MP2RAGE,
a self bias-field corrected sequence for improved
segmentation and T-1-mapping at high field.
Neuroimage 49: 1271–1281.
doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.10.002
* José P.
Marques,
Rolf Gruetter (2013) New Developments...