Free breathing 1H MRI of the human lung with an improved radial turbo spin-echo

AbstractObjective To optimize a radial turbo spin-echo sequence for motion-robust morphological lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in free respiration.Materials and methods A versatile multi-shot radial turbo spin-echo (rTSE) sequence is presented, using a modified golden ratio-based reordering designed to prevent coherent streaking due to data inconsistencies from physiological motion and the decaying signal. The point spread function for a moving object was simulated using a model for joint respiratory and cardiac motion with a concomitant T2 signal decay and with rTSE acquisition using four different reordering techniques. The reordering strategies were compared in vivo using healthy volunteers and the sequence was tested for feasibility in two patients with lung cancer and pneumonia.ResultsSimulations and in vivo measurements showed very weak artifacts, aside from motion blur, using the proposed reordering. Due to the opportunity for longer scan times in free respiration, a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was achieved, facilitating identification of the disease as compared to standard half-Fourier-acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) scans. Additionally, post-processing allowed modifying the T2 contrast retrospectively, further improving the diagnostic fidelity.ConclusionThe proposed radial TSE sequence allowed for high-resolution imaging with limited obscuring artifacts. The radial k-space traversal allowed for versatile post-processing that may help to improve the diagnosis of subtle diseases.

[1]  N L Müller,et al.  MR imaging of the lungs: value of short TE spin-echo pulse sequences. , 1992, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[2]  Dominique Malaquais,et al.  Why, When, How , 2010 .

[3]  Jeffrey A Fessler,et al.  On NUFFT-based gridding for non-Cartesian MRI. , 2007, Journal of magnetic resonance.

[4]  H. Kauczor,et al.  MRI using hyperpolarized noble gases , 1998, European Radiology.

[5]  Peter M Jakob,et al.  Ultrashort echo time imaging using pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) , 2012, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[6]  A. Brau,et al.  Generalized self‐navigated motion detection technique: Preliminary investigation in abdominal imaging , 2006, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[7]  Olaf Dössel,et al.  An Optimal Radial Profile Order Based on the Golden Ratio for Time-Resolved MRI , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[8]  Weili Lin,et al.  A fast, iterative, partial-fourier technique capable of local phase recovery , 1991 .

[9]  Robin M Heidemann,et al.  Generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) , 2002, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[10]  Mark Bydder,et al.  Magnetic Resonance: An Introduction to Ultrashort TE (UTE) Imaging , 2003, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[11]  Yoshiharu Ohno,et al.  Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI of the lung: Assessment of tissue density in the lung parenchyma , 2010, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[12]  C. Faber,et al.  Early detection of lung inflammation: Exploiting T1‐effects of iron oxide particles using UTE MRI , 2012, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[13]  J Listerud,et al.  T2* and proton density measurement of normal human lung parenchyma using submillisecond echo time gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging. , 1999, European journal of radiology.

[14]  Robert R. Edelman,et al.  Noninvasive assessment of regional ventilation in the human lung using oxygen–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging , 1996, Nature Medicine.

[15]  V Rasche,et al.  Radial turbo spin echo imaging , 1994, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[16]  Oliver Bieri,et al.  Ultra‐fast steady state free precession and its application to in vivo 1H morphological and functional lung imaging at 1.5 tesla , 2013, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[17]  Maria I Altbach,et al.  View‐ordering in radial fast spin‐echo imaging , 2004, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[18]  Donald S. Williams,et al.  Tissue specific perfusion imaging using arterial spin labeling , 1994, NMR in biomedicine.

[19]  Jan Wolber,et al.  Diffusion‐weighted hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI in healthy volunteers and subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , 2011, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[20]  Jürgen Biederer,et al.  DC‐gated high resolution three‐dimensional lung imaging during free‐breathing , 2013, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[21]  Ali Bilgin,et al.  Processing of radial fast spin‐echo data for obtaining T2 estimates from a single k‐space data set , 2005, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[22]  J M Pauly,et al.  Lung parenchyma: projection reconstruction MR imaging. , 1991, Radiology.

[23]  H K Song,et al.  k‐Space weighted image contrast (KWIC) for contrast manipulation in projection reconstruction MRI , 2000, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[24]  E. Larsen,et al.  A method for incorporating organ motion due to breathing into 3D dose calculations. , 1999, Medical physics.

[25]  G. Beluffi,et al.  MRI of the lung , 2010, La radiologia medica.

[26]  P. Jakob,et al.  Oxygen‐enhanced proton imaging of the human lung using T2* , 2005, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[27]  Assessment of pulmonary perfusion in a single shot using SEEPAGE , 2008, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[28]  M. Puderbach,et al.  MRI of the lung (2/3). Why … when … how? , 2012, Insights into Imaging.

[29]  G H Glover,et al.  Projection Reconstruction Techniques for Reduction of Motion Effects in MRI , 1992, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[30]  Dana C Peters,et al.  Centering the projection reconstruction trajectory: Reducing gradient delay errors , 2003, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[31]  P. Speier,et al.  Robust radial imaging with predetermined isotropic gradient delay correction , 2005 .

[32]  M. Puderbach,et al.  MRI of the lung (3/3)—current applications and future perspectives , 2012, Insights into Imaging.

[33]  Andrew C Larson,et al.  Automated rectilinear self‐gated cardiac cine imaging , 2004, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[34]  Markus Barth,et al.  T1 mapping of the entire lung parenchyma: Influence of the respiratory phase in healthy individuals , 2005, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[35]  K. Scheffler,et al.  Easy improvement of signal‐to‐noise in RARE‐sequences with low refocusing flip angles , 2000, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[36]  K. Scheffler,et al.  Multiecho sequences with variable refocusing flip angles: Optimization of signal behavior using smooth transitions between pseudo steady states (TRAPS) , 2003, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[37]  Kevin M. Johnson,et al.  Optimized 3D ultrashort echo time pulmonary MRI , 2013, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[38]  Andrew C Larson,et al.  Self‐gated cardiac cine MRI , 2004, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[39]  Michael Deimling,et al.  Non‐contrast‐enhanced perfusion and ventilation assessment of the human lung by means of fourier decomposition in proton MRI , 2009, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[40]  E E de Lange,et al.  MR imaging and spectroscopy using hyperpolarized 129Xe gas: Preliminary human results , 1997, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[41]  P. Jakob,et al.  Assessment of human pulmonary function using oxygen‐enhanced T1 imaging in patients with cystic fibrosis , 2004, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[42]  M. Puderbach,et al.  MRI of the lung (1/3): methods , 2012, Insights into Imaging.

[43]  R R Edelman,et al.  MR imaging of pulmonary parenchyma with a half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) sequence. , 1999, European journal of radiology.