1
|
Kilic T, Liebig P, Demirel OB, Herrler J, Nagel AM, Ugurbil K, Akçakaya M. Unsupervised deep learning with convolutional neural networks for static parallel transmit design: A retrospective study. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:2498-2507. [PMID: 38247050 PMCID: PMC10997461 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To mitigateB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ inhomogeneity at 7T for multi-channel transmit arrays using unsupervised deep learning with convolutional neural networks (CNNs). METHODS Deep learning parallel transmit (pTx) pulse design has received attention, but such methods have relied on supervised training and did not use CNNs for multi-channelB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ maps. In this work, we introduce an alternative approach that facilitates the use of CNNs with multi-channelB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ maps while performing unsupervised training. The multi-channelB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ maps are concatenated along the spatial dimension to enable shift-equivariant processing amenable to CNNs. Training is performed in an unsupervised manner using a physics-driven loss function that minimizes the discrepancy of the Bloch simulation with the target magnetization, which eliminates the calculation of reference transmit RF weights. The training database comprises 3824 2D sagittal, multi-channelB 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ maps of the healthy human brain from 143 subjects.B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ data were acquired at 7T using an 8Tx/32Rx head coil. The proposed method is compared to the unregularized magnitude least-squares (MLS) solution for the target magnetization in static pTx design. RESULTS The proposed method outperformed the unregularized MLS solution for RMS error and coefficient-of-variation and had comparable energy consumption. Additionally, the proposed method did not show local phase singularities leading to distinct holes in the resulting magnetization unlike the unregularized MLS solution. CONCLUSION Proposed unsupervised deep learning with CNNs performs better than unregularized MLS in static pTx for speed and robustness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toygan Kilic
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Omer Burak Demirel
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Armin M Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kamil Ugurbil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mehmet Akçakaya
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Eisen CK, Liebig P, Herrler J, Ritter D, Lévy S, Uder M, Nagel AM, Grodzki D. Fast online spectral-spatial pulse design for subject-specific fat saturation in cervical spine and foot imaging at 1.5 T. MAGMA 2024; 37:257-272. [PMID: 38366129 PMCID: PMC10995033 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-024-01149-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compensate subject-specific field inhomogeneities and enhance fat pre-saturation with a fast online individual spectral-spatial (SPSP) single-channel pulse design. METHODS The RF shape is calculated online using subject-specific field maps and a predefined excitation k-space trajectory. Calculation acceleration options are explored to increase clinical viability. Four optimization configurations are compared to a standard Gaussian spectral selective pre-saturation pulse and to a Dixon acquisition using phantom and volunteer (N = 5) data at 1.5 T with a turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence. Measurements and simulations are conducted across various body parts and image orientations. RESULTS Phantom measurements demonstrate up to a 3.5-fold reduction in residual fat signal compared to Gaussian fat saturation. In vivo evaluations show improvements up to sixfold for dorsal subcutaneous fat in sagittal cervical spine acquisitions. The versatility of the tailored trajectory is confirmed through sagittal foot/ankle, coronal, and transversal cervical spine experiments. Additional measurements indicate that excitation field (B1) information can be disregarded at 1.5 T. Acceleration methods reduce computation time to a few seconds. DISCUSSION An individual pulse design that primarily compensates for main field (B0) inhomogeneities in fat pre-saturation is successfully implemented within an online "push-button" workflow. Both fat saturation homogeneity and the level of suppression are improved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Karl Eisen
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Patrick Liebig
- Magnetic Resonance, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Herrler
- Magnetic Resonance, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dieter Ritter
- Magnetic Resonance, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Lévy
- MR Research Collaborations, Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Uder
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Armin Michael Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Grodzki
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Magnetic Resonance, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang M, Ding B, Dragonu I, Liebig P, Rodgers CT. Dynamic parallel transmit diffusion MRI at 7T. Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 111:35-46. [PMID: 38547935 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2024.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) is inherently limited by SNR. Scanning at 7 T increases intrinsic SNR but 7 T MRI scans suffer from regions of signal dropout, especially in the temporal lobes and cerebellum. We applied dynamic parallel transmit (pTx) to allow whole-brain 7 T dMRI and compared with circularly polarized (CP) pulses in 6 subjects. Subject-specific 2-spoke dynamic pTx pulses were designed offline for 8 slabs covering the brain. We used vendor-provided B0 and B1+ mapping. Spokes positions were set using the Fourier difference approach, and RF coefficients optimized with a Jacobi-matrix high-flip-angle optimizer. Diffusion data were analyzed with FSL. Comparing whole-brain averages for pTx against CP scans: mean flip angle error improved by 15% for excitation (2-spoke-VERSE 15.7° vs CP 18.4°, P = 0.012) and improved by 14% for refocusing (2-spoke-VERSE 39.7° vs CP 46.2°, P = 0.008). Computed spin-echo signal standard deviation improved by 14% (2-spoke-VERSE 0.185 vs 0.214 CP, P = 0.025). Temporal SNR increased by 5.4% (2-spoke-VERSE 8.47 vs CP 8.04, P = 0.004) especially in the inferior temporal lobes. Diffusion fitting uncertainty decreased by 6.2% for first fibers (2-spoke VERSE 0.0655 vs CP 0.0703, P < 0.001) and 1.3% for second fibers (2-spoke VERSE 0.139 vs CP 0.141, P = 0.01). In conclusion, dynamic parallel transmit improves the uniformity of 7 T diffusion-weighted imaging. In future, less restrictive SAR limits for parallel transmit scans are expected to allow further improvements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Zhang
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Belinda Ding
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Siemens Healthcare Ltd, Frimley, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Christopher T Rodgers
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Aigner CS, Dietrich-Conzelmann S, Lutz M, Krüger F, Schmitter S. Tailored and universal parallel transmit broadband pulses for homogeneous 3D excitation of the human heart at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2024. [PMID: 38440957 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To research and evaluate the performance of broadband tailored kT-point pulses (TP) and universal pulses (UP) for homogeneous excitation of the human heart at 7T. METHODS Relative 3DB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps of the thorax were acquired from 29 healthy volunteers. TP and UP were designed using the small-tip-angle approximation for a different composition of up to seven resonance frequencies. TP were computed for each of the 29B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps, and UPs were calculated using 22B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps and tested in seven testcases. The performance of the pulses was analyzed using the coefficient of variation (CV) in the 3D heart volumes. The 3D gradient-echo (GRE) scans were acquired for the seven testcases to qualitatively validate theB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -predictions. RESULTS Single- and double-frequency optimized pulses achieved homogeneity in flip angle (FA) for the frequencies they were optimized for, while the broadband pulses achieved uniformity in FA across a 1300 Hz frequency range. CONCLUSION Broadband TP and UP can be used for homogeneous excitation of the heart volume across a 1300 Hz frequency range, including the water and the main six fat peaks, or with longer pulse durations and higher FAs for a smaller transmit bandwidth. Moreover, despite large inter-volunteer variations, broadband UP can be used for calibration-free 3D heart FA homogenization in time-critical situations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Max Lutz
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Krüger
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
- University of Minnesota, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tyshchenko I, Lévy S, Jin J, Tahayori B, Blunck Y, Johnston LA. What can we gain from subpopulation universal pulses? A simulation-based study. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:570-582. [PMID: 37849035 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of the study was to explore a novel methodology for designing universal pulses (UPs) that balances the benefits of a calibration-free approach with subject-specific online pulse design. METHODS The proposed method involves segmenting the population into subpopulations with variability in anatomical shapes and positions reduced to 75%, 50%, and 25% of their original values while keeping the mean values unchanged. An additional 25% extreme case with a large volume of interest and shifted position was included. For each group, a 5kT-points universal inversion pulse was designed and assessed by the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) on the target longitudinal magnetization profile. The performance was compared to the conventional one-size-fits-all approach. A total of 132 electromagnetic simulations were executed to generate representative anatomies and specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions in a three-dimensional parameter space comprised of head breadth, head length, and Y-shift. The 99.9th percentile on the peak local SAR distribution was utilized to establish an intersubject variability safety margin. RESULTS UPs designed for subpopulations with decreased head shape and position variability reduced the anatomical safety margin by up to 20%. Furthermore, when a head was significantly different to the average case, the proposed approach improved the inversion homogeneity by up to 24%, compared to the conventional one-size-fits-all approach. CONCLUSION Subpopulation UPs present an opportunity to improve theB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ homogeneity and reduce anatomical SAR safety margins at 7T without additional acquisition time for calibration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Igor Tyshchenko
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Lévy
- MR Research Collaborations, Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd, Australia
| | - Jin Jin
- MR Research Collaborations, Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd, Australia
| | - Bahman Tahayori
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yasmin Blunck
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leigh A Johnston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Brain Centre Imaging Unit, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bosch D, Scheffler K. FastPtx: a versatile toolbox for rapid, joint design of pTx RF and gradient pulses using Pytorch's autodifferentiation. MAGMA 2024; 37:127-138. [PMID: 38064137 PMCID: PMC10876762 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-023-01134-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE With modern optimization methods, free optimization of parallel transmit pulses together with their gradient waveforms can be performed on-line within a short time. A toolbox which uses PyTorch's autodifferentiation for simultaneous optimization of RF and gradient waveforms is presented and its performance is evaluated. METHODS MR measurements were performed on a 9.4T MRI scanner using a 3D saturated single-shot turboFlash sequence for [Formula: see text] mapping. RF pulse simulation and optimization were done using a Python toolbox and a dedicated server. An RF- and Gradient pulse design toolbox was developed, including a cost function to balance different metrics and respect hardware and regulatory limits. Pulse performance was evaluated in GRE and MPRAGE imaging. Pulses for non-selective and for slab-selective excitation were designed. RESULTS Universal pulses for non-selective excitation reduced the flip angle error to an NRMSE of (12.3±1.7)% relative to the targeted flip angle in simulations, compared to (42.0±1.4)% in CP mode. The tailored pulses performed best, resulting in a narrow flip angle distribution with NRMSE of (8.2±1.0)%. The tailored pulses could be created in only 66 s, making it feasible to design them during an experiment. A 90° pulse was designed as preparation pulse for a satTFL sequence and achieved a NRMSE of 7.1%. We showed that both MPRAGE and GRE imaging benefited from the pTx pulses created with our toolbox. CONCLUSION The pTx pulse design toolbox can freely optimize gradient and pTx RF waveforms in a short time. This allows for tailoring high-quality pulses in just over a minute.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Bosch
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mennecke A, Khakzar KM, German A, Herz K, Fabian MS, Liebert A, Blümcke I, Kasper BS, Nagel AM, Laun FB, Schmidt M, Winkler J, Dörfler A, Zaiss M. 7 tricks for 7 T CEST: Improving the reproducibility of multipool evaluation provides insights into the effects of age and the early stages of Parkinson's disease. NMR Biomed 2023; 36:e4717. [PMID: 35194865 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the current study was to optimize the postprocessing pipeline of 7 T chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging for reproducibility and to prove this optimization for the detection of age differences and differences between patients with Parkinson's disease versus normal subjects. The following 7 T CEST MRI experiments were analyzed: repeated measurements of a healthy subject, subjects of two age cohorts (14 older, seven younger subjects), and measurements of 12 patients with Parkinson's disease. A slab-selective, B 1 + -homogeneous parallel transmit protocol was used. The postprocessing, consisting of motion correction, smoothing, B 0 -correction, normalization, denoising, B 1 + -correction and Lorentzian fitting, was optimized regarding the intrasubject and intersubject coefficient of variation (CoV) of the amplitudes of the amide pool and the aliphatic relayed nuclear Overhauser effect (rNOE) pool within the brain. Seven "tricks" for postprocessing accomplished an improvement of the mean voxel CoV of the amide pool and the aliphatic rNOE pool amplitudes of less than 5% and 3%, respectively. These postprocessing steps are: motion correction with interpolation of the motion of low-signal offsets (1) using the amide pool frequency offset image as reference (2), normalization of the Z-spectrum using the outermost saturated measurements (3), B 0 correction of the Z-spectrum with moderate spline smoothing (4), denoising using principal component analysis preserving the 11 highest intensity components (5), B 1 + correction using a linear fit (6) and Lorentzian fitting using the five-pool fit model (7). With the optimized postprocessing pipeline, a significant age effect in the amide pool can be detected. Additionally, for the first time, an aliphatic rNOE contrast between subjects with Parkinson's disease and age-matched healthy controls in the substantia nigra is detected. We propose an optimized postprocessing pipeline for CEST multipool evaluation. It is shown that by the use of these seven "tricks", the reproducibility and, thus, the statistical power of a CEST measurement, can be greatly improved and subtle changes can be detected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Mennecke
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katrin M Khakzar
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexander German
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kai Herz
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Moritz S Fabian
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andrzej Liebert
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ingmar Blümcke
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Burkhard S Kasper
- Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Centre, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Frederik B Laun
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Manuel Schmidt
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Winkler
- Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Centre, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arnd Dörfler
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Herrler J, Williams SN, Liebig P, Ding B, McElhinney P, Allwood-Spiers S, Meixner CR, Gunamony S, Maier A, Dörfler A, Gumbrecht R, Porter DA, Nagel AM. The effects of RF coils and SAR supervision strategies for clinically applicable nonselective parallel-transmit pulses at 7 T. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:1888-1900. [PMID: 36622945 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the effects of using different parallel-transmit (pTx) head coils and specific absorption rate (SAR) supervision strategies on pTx pulse design for ultrahigh-field MRI using a 3D-MPRAGE sequence. METHODS The PTx universal pulses (UPs) and fast online-customized (FOCUS) pulses were designed with pre-acquired data sets (B0 , B1 + maps, specific absorption rate [SAR] supervision data) from two different 8 transmit/32 receive head coils on two 7T whole-body MR systems. For one coil, the SAR supervision model consisted of per-channel RF power limits. In the other coil, SAR estimations were done with both per-channel RF power limits as well as virtual observation points (VOPs) derived from electromagnetic field (EMF) simulations using three virtual human body models at three different positions. All pulses were made for nonselective excitation and inversion and evaluated on 132 B0 , B1 + , and SAR supervision datasets obtained with one coil and 12 from the other. At both sites, 3 subjects were examined using MPRAGE sequences that used UP/FOCUS pulses generated for both coils. RESULTS For some subjects, the UPs underperformed when simulated on a different coil from which they were derived, whereas FOCUS pulses still showed acceptable performance in that case. FOCUS inversion pulses outperformed adiabatic pulses when scaled to the same local SAR level. For the self-built coil, the use of VOPs showed reliable overestimation compared with the ground-truth EMF simulations, predicting about 52% lower local SAR for inversion pulses compared with per-channel power limits. CONCLUSION FOCUS inversion pulses offer a low-SAR alternative to adiabatic pulses and benefit from using EMF-based VOPs for SAR estimation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Herrler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Paul McElhinney
- Imaging Center of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Christian R Meixner
- Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany.,Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Shajan Gunamony
- Imaging Center of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,MR CoilTech, Glasgow, UK
| | - Andreas Maier
- Department of Computer Science, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arnd Dörfler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - David A Porter
- Imaging Center of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ladd ME, Quick HH, Speck O, Bock M, Doerfler A, Forsting M, Hennig J, Ittermann B, Möller HE, Nagel AM, Niendorf T, Remy S, Schaeffter T, Scheffler K, Schlemmer HP, Schmitter S, Schreiber L, Shah NJ, Stöcker T, Uder M, Villringer A, Weiskopf N, Zaiss M, Zaitsev M. Germany's journey toward 14 Tesla human magnetic resonance. MAGMA 2023; 36:191-210. [PMID: 37029886 PMCID: PMC10140098 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-023-01085-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sites within Germany operate human MRI systems with magnetic fields either at 7 Tesla or 9.4 Tesla. In 2013, these sites formed a network to facilitate and harmonize the research being conducted at the different sites and make this technology available to a larger community of researchers and clinicians not only within Germany, but also worldwide. The German Ultrahigh Field Imaging (GUFI) network has defined a strategic goal to establish a 14 Tesla whole-body human MRI system as a national research resource in Germany as the next progression in magnetic field strength. This paper summarizes the history of this initiative, the current status, the motivation for pursuing MR imaging and spectroscopy at such a high magnetic field strength, and the technical and funding challenges involved. It focuses on the scientific and science policy process from the perspective in Germany, and is not intended to be a comprehensive systematic review of the benefits and technical challenges of higher field strengths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Ladd
- Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Harald H Quick
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- High-Field and Hybrid MR Imaging, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Oliver Speck
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Bock
- Division of Medical Physics, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Arnd Doerfler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Forsting
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hennig
- Division of Medical Physics, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Medical Physics and Metrological Information Technology, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Harald E Möller
- Methods and Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thoralf Niendorf
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Remy
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Schaeffter
- Medical Physics and Metrological Information Technology, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Medical Physics and Metrological Information Technology, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Schreiber
- Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - N Jon Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Tony Stöcker
- MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Uder
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Maxim Zaitsev
- Division of Medical Physics, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Krueger F, Aigner CS, Hammernik K, Dietrich S, Lutz M, Schulz-Menger J, Schaeffter T, Schmitter S. Rapid estimation of 2D relative B 1 + -maps from localizers in the human heart at 7T using deep learning. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:1002-1015. [PMID: 36336877 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Subject-tailored parallel transmission pulses for ultra-high fields body applications are typically calculated based on subject-specific B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps of all transmit channels, which require lengthy adjustment times. This study investigates the feasibility of using deep learning to estimate complex, channel-wise, relative 2D B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps from a single gradient echo localizer to overcome long calibration times. METHODS 126 channel-wise, complex, relative 2D B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps of the human heart from 44 subjects were acquired at 7T using a Cartesian, cardiac gradient-echo sequence obtained under breath-hold to create a library for network training and cross-validation. The deep learning predicted maps were qualitatively compared to the ground truth. Phase-only B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -shimming was subsequently performed on the estimated B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps for a region of interest covering the heart. The proposed network was applied at 7T to 3 unseen test subjects. RESULTS The deep learning-based B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps, derived in approximately 0.2 seconds, match the ground truth for the magnitude and phase. The static, phase-only pulse design performs best when maximizing the mean transmission efficiency. In-vivo application of the proposed network to unseen subjects demonstrates the feasibility of this approach: the network yields predicted B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps comparable to the acquired ground truth and anatomical scans reflect the resulting B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -pattern using the deep learning-based maps. CONCLUSION The feasibility of estimating 2D relative B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps from initial localizer scans of the human heart at 7T using deep learning is successfully demonstrated. Because the technique requires only sub-seconds to derive channel-wise B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ -maps, it offers high potential for advancing clinical body imaging at ultra-high fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Krueger
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Technische Universität Berlin, Biomedical Engineering, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Kerstin Hammernik
- Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Max Lutz
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Jeanette Schulz-Menger
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Experimental Clinical Research Center, Berlin, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Cardiology and Nephrology, HELIOS Hospital Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Schaeffter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Technische Universität Berlin, Biomedical Engineering, Berlin, Germany.,Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Marxreiter F, Lambrecht V, Mennecke A, Hanspach J, Jukic J, Regensburger M, Herrler J, German A, Kassubek J, Grön G, Müller HP, Laun FB, Dörfler A, Winkler J, Schmidt MA. Parkinson's disease or multiple system atrophy: potential separation by quantitative susceptibility mapping. Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2023; 16:17562864221143834. [PMID: 36846471 PMCID: PMC9950607 DOI: 10.1177/17562864221143834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Due to the absence of robust biomarkers, and the low sensitivity and specificity of routine imaging techniques, the differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) is challenging. High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) opened up new possibilities regarding the analysis of pathological alterations associated with neurodegenerative processes. Recently, we have shown that quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) enables visualization and quantification of two major histopathologic hallmarks observed in MSA: reduced myelin density and iron accumulation in the basal ganglia of a transgenic murine model of MSA. It is therefore emerging as a promising imaging modality on the differential diagnosis of Parkinsonian syndromes. Objectives To assess QSM on high-field MRI for the differential diagnosis of PD and MSA. Methods We assessed 23 patients (nine PDs and 14 MSAs) and nine controls using QSM on 3T and 7T MRI scanners at two academic centers. Results We observed increased susceptibility in MSA at 3T in prototypical subcortical and brainstem regions. Susceptibility measures of putamen, pallidum, and substantia nigra reached excellent diagnostic accuracy to separate both synucleinopathies. Increase toward 100% sensitivity and specificity was achieved using 7T MRI in a subset of patients. Magnetic susceptibility correlated with age in all groups, but not with disease duration in MSA. Sensitivity and specificity were particularly high for possible MSA, and reached 100% in the putamen. Conclusion Putaminal susceptibility measures, in particular on ultra-high-field MRI, may distinguish MSA patients from both, PD and controls, allowing an early and sensitive diagnosis of MSA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Angelika Mennecke
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jannis Hanspach
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital
Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen,
Germany
| | - Jelena Jukic
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Regensburger
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany,Center for Rare Diseases, University Hospital
Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Juergen Herrler
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany,Institute of Radiology, University Hospital
Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen,
Germany
| | - Alexander German
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany,Institute of Radiology, University Hospital
Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen,
Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm,
Germany
| | - Georg Grön
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
III, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Frederik B. Laun
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital
Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen,
Germany
| | - Arnd Dörfler
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Juergen Winkler
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany,Center for Rare Diseases, University Hospital
Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Manuel A. Schmidt
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University
Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Williams SN, McElhinney P, Gunamony S. Ultra-high field MRI: parallel-transmit arrays and RF pulse design. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68. [PMID: 36410046 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aca4b7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews the field of multiple or parallel radiofrequency (RF) transmission for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently the use of ultra-high field (UHF) MRI at 7 tesla and above is gaining popularity, yet faces challenges with non-uniformity of the RF field and higher RF power deposition. Since its introduction in the early 2000s, parallel transmission (pTx) has been recognized as a powerful tool for accelerating spatially selective RF pulses and combating the challenges associated with RF inhomogeneity at UHF. We provide a survey of the types of dedicated RF coils used commonly for pTx and the important modeling of the coil behavior by electromagnetic (EM) field simulations. We also discuss the additional safety considerations involved with pTx such as the specific absorption rate (SAR) and how to manage them. We then describe the application of pTx with RF pulse design, including a practical guide to popular methods. Finally, we conclude with a description of the current and future prospects for pTx, particularly its potential for routine clinical use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sydney N Williams
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McElhinney
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Shajan Gunamony
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.,MR CoilTech Limited, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Vinding MS, Lund TE. Clipped DeepControl: Deep neural network two-dimensional pulse design with an amplitude constraint layer. Artif Intell Med 2023; 135:102460. [PMID: 36628795 DOI: 10.1016/j.artmed.2022.102460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Advanced radio-frequency pulse design used in magnetic resonance imaging has recently been demonstrated with deep learning of (convolutional) neural networks and reinforcement learning. For two-dimensionally selective radio-frequency pulses, the (convolutional) neural network pulse prediction time (a few milliseconds) was in comparison more than three orders of magnitude faster than the conventional optimal control computation. The network pulses were from the supervised training capable of compensating scan-subject dependent inhomogeneities of B0 and B1+ fields. Unfortunately, the network presented with a small percentage of pulse amplitude overshoots in the test subset, despite the optimal control pulses used in training were fully constrained. Here, we have extended the convolutional neural network with a custom-made clipping layer that completely eliminates the risk of pulse amplitude overshoots, while preserving the ability to compensate for the inhomogeneous field conditions.
Collapse
|
14
|
Yetisir F, Poser BA, Grant PE, Adalsteinsson E, Wald LL, Guerin B. Parallel transmission 2D RARE imaging at 7T with transmit field inhomogeneity mitigation and local SAR control. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 93:87-96. [PMID: 35940379 PMCID: PMC9789791 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We develop and test a parallel transmit (pTx) pulse design framework to mitigate transmit field inhomogeneity with control of local specific absorption rate (SAR) in 2D rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) imaging at 7T. METHODS We design large flip angle RF pulses with explicit local SAR constraints by numerical simulation of the Bloch equations. Parallel computation and analytical expressions for the Jacobian and the Hessian matrices are employed to reduce pulse design time. The refocusing-excitation "spokes" pulse pairs are designed to satisfy the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) condition using a combined magnitude least squares-least squares approach. RESULTS In a simulated dataset, the proposed approach reduced peak local SAR by up to 56% for the same level of refocusing uniformity error and reduced refocusing uniformity error by up to 59% (from 32% to 7%) for the same level of peak local SAR compared to the circularly polarized birdcage mode of the pTx array. Using explicit local SAR constraints also reduced peak local SAR by up to 46% compared to an RF peak power constrained design. The excitation and refocusing uniformity error were reduced from 20%-33% to 4%-6% in single slice phantom experiments. Phantom experiments demonstrated good agreement between the simulated excitation and refocusing uniformity profiles and experimental image shading. CONCLUSION PTx-designed excitation and refocusing CPMG pulse pairs can mitigate transmit field inhomogeneity in the 2D RARE sequence. Moreover, local SAR can be decreased significantly using pTx, potentially leading to better slice coverage, enabling larger flip angles or faster imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filiz Yetisir
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - P Ellen Grant
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elfar Adalsteinsson
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 MA Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 MA Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 MA Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lawrence L Wald
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 MA Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MA General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Bastien Guerin
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MA General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lévy S, Herrler J, Liebert A, Tkotz K, Fabian MS, Eisen C, Grodzki D, Uder M, Dörfler A, Zaiss M, Nagel AM. Clinically compatible subject-specific dynamic parallel transmit pulse design for homogeneous fat saturation and water-excitation at 141657T: Proof-of-concept for 14165CEST MRI of the brain. Magn Reson Med 2022; 89:77-94. [PMID: 36128895 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the benefits and challenges of dynamic parallel transmit (pTx) pulses for fat saturation (FS) and water-excitation (WE), in the context of CEST MRI. METHODS "Universal" kT -points (for FS) and spiral non-selective (for WE) trajectories were optimized offline for flip angle (FA) homogeneity. Routines to optimize the pulse shape online, based on the subject's fields maps, were implemented (target FA of 110°/0° for FS, 0°/5° for WE at fat/water frequencies). The pulses were inserted in a CEST sequence with a pTx readout. The different fat suppression schemes and their effects on CEST contrasts were compared in 12 volunteers at 7T. RESULTS With a 25%-shorter pulse duration, pTx FS largely improved the FA homogeneity (root-mean-square-error (RMSE) = 12.3° vs. 53.4° with circularly-polarized mode, at the fat frequency). However, the spectral selectivity was degraded mainly in the cerebellum and close to the sinuses (RMSE = 5.8° vs. 0.2° at the water frequency). Similarly, pTx WE showed a trade-off between FA homogeneity and spectral selectivity compared to pTx non-selective pulses (RMSE = 0.9° and 1.1° at the fat and water frequencies, vs. 4.6° and 0.5°). In the brain, CEST metrics were reduced by up to 31.9% at -3.3 ppm with pTx FS, suggesting a mitigated lipid-induced bias. CONCLUSION This clinically compatible implementation of dynamic pTx pulses improved the fat suppression homogeneity at 7T taking into account the subject-specific B0 heterogeneities online. This study highlights the lipid-induced biases on the CEST z-spectrum. The results are promising for body applications where B0 heterogeneities and fat are more substantial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Lévy
- Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Herrler
- Institute of Neuroradiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andrzej Liebert
- Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katharina Tkotz
- Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Moritz S Fabian
- Institute of Neuroradiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian Eisen
- Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - David Grodzki
- MR Application Predevelopment, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Uder
- Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arnd Dörfler
- Institute of Neuroradiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Institute of Neuroradiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.,High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.,Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bosch D, Bause J, Geldschläger O, Scheffler K. Optimized ultrahigh field parallel transmission workflow using rapid presaturated TurboFLASH transmit field mapping with a three-dimensional centric single-shot readout. Magn Reson Med 2022; 89:322-330. [PMID: 36120984 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the usage of three-dimensional (3D) presaturated TurboFLASH (satTFL) for B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ and B 0 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_0 $$ mapping on single channel and parallel transmission (pTx) systems. METHODS B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ maps recorded with 3D satTFL were compared to maps from three other 3D B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ mapping sequences in an agar phantom. Furthermore, individual-channel B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ maps of 18 human subjects were recorded with 3D satTFL using B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ interferometry. A neural network was trained for masking of the maps. RESULTS Out of the sequences compared satTFL was the only one with a mapping range exceeding well over 90°. In regions with lower flip angles there was high correspondence between satTFL and AFI. DREAM and double angle method also showed high qualitative similarity, however the magnitude differed from the other two measurements. The individual-channel B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ maps were successfully used for pTx pulse calculation in a separate study. CONCLUSION 3D satTFL can record high-quality B 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ maps with a high dynamic range in a short time. Correspondence with AFI maps is high, while measurement duration is reduced drastically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Bosch
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonas Bause
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ole Geldschläger
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Löwen D, Pracht ED, Stirnberg R, Liebig P, Stöcker T. Interleaved binomial kT-Points for water-selective imaging at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:2564-2572. [PMID: 35942989 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We present a time-efficient water-selective, parallel transmit RF excitation pulse design for ultra-high field applications. METHODS The proposed pulse design method achieves flip angle homogenization at ultra-high fields by employing spatially nonselective k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses. In order to introduce water-selection, the concept of binomial pulses is applied. Due to the composite nature of k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points, the pulse can be split into multiple binomial subpulse blocks shorter than half the precession period of fat, that are played out successively. Additional fat precession turns, that would otherwise impair the spectral response, can thus be avoided. Bloch simulations of the proposed interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses were carried out and compared in terms of duration, homogeneity, fat suppression and pulse energy. For validation, in vivo MP-RAGE and 3D-EPI data were acquired. RESULTS Simulation results show that interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses achieve shorter total pulse durations, improved flip angle homogeneity and more robust fat suppression compared to available methods. Interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points can be customized by changing the number of k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points, the subpulse duration and the order of the binomial pulse. Using shorter subpulses, the number of k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points can be increased and hence better homogeneity is achieved, while still maintaining short total pulse durations. Flip angle homogenization and fat suppression of interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses is demonstrated in vivo at 7T, confirming Bloch simulation results. CONCLUSION In this work, we present a time efficient and robust parallel transmission technique for nonselective water excitation with simultaneous flip angle homogenization at ultra-high field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Löwen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Tony Stöcker
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Geldschläger O, Bosch D, Henning A. OTUP workflow: target specific optimization of the transmit k-space trajectory for flexible universal parallel transmit RF pulse design. NMR Biomed 2022; 35:e4728. [PMID: 35297104 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To optimize transmit k-space trajectories for a wide range of excitation targets and to design "universal pTx RF pulses" based on these trajectories. METHODS Transmit k-space trajectories (stack of spirals and SPINS) were optimized to best match different excitation targets using the parameters of the analytical equations of spirals and SPINS. The performances of RF pulses designed based on optimized and non-optimized trajectories were compared. The optimized trajectories were utilized for universal pulse design. The universal pulse performances were compared with subject specific tailored pulse performances. The OTUP workflow (optimization of transmit k-space trajectories and universal pulse calculation) was tested on three test target excitation patterns. For one target (local excitation of a central area in the human brain) the pulses were tested in vivo at 9.4 T. RESULTS The workflow produced appropriate transmit k-space trajectories for each test target. Utilization of an optimized trajectory was crucial for the pulse performance. Using unsuited trajectories diminished the performance. It was possible to create target specific universal pulses. However, not every test target is equally well suited for universal pulse design. There was no significant difference in the in vivo performance between subject specific tailored pulses and a universal pulse at 9.4 T. CONCLUSIONS The proposed workflow further exploited and improved the universal pulse concept by combining it with gradient trajectory optimization for stack of spirals and SPINS. It emphasized the importance of a well suited trajectory for pTx RF pulse design. Universal and tailored pulses performed with a sufficient degree of similarity in simulations and a high degree of similarity in vivo. The implemented OTUP workflow and the B0 /B1+ map data from 18 subjects measured at 9.4 T are available as open source (https://github.com/ole1965/workflow_OTUP.git).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ole Geldschläger
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Bosch
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Schoen N, Seifert F, Petzold J, Metzger GJ, Speck O, Ittermann B, Schmitter S. The Impact of Respiratory Motion on Electromagnetic Fields and Specific Absorption Rate in Cardiac Imaging at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:2645-2661. [PMID: 35906923 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To present electromagnetic simulation setups for detailed analyses of respiration's impact on B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ and E-fields, local specific absorption rate (SAR) and associated safety-limits for 7T cardiac imaging. METHODS Finite-difference time-domain electromagnetic field simulations were performed at five respiratory states using a breathing body model and a 16-element 7T body transceiver RF-coil array. B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ and SAR are analyzed for fixed and moving coil configurations. SAR variations are investigated using phase/amplitude shimming considering (i) a local SAR-controlled mode (here SAR calculations consider RF amplitudes and phases) and (ii) a channel-wise power-controlled mode (SAR boundary calculation is independent of the channels' phases, only dependent on the channels' maximum amplitude). RESULTS Respiration-induced variations of both B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ amplitude and phase are observed. The flip angle homogeneity depends on the respiratory state used for B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ shimming; best results were achieved for shimming on inhale and exhale simultaneously ( | Δ C V | < 35 % $$ \mid \Delta CV\mid <35\% $$ ). The results reflect that respiration impacts position and amplitude of the local SAR maximum. With the local-SAR-control mode, a safety factor of up to 1.4 is needed to accommodate for respiratory variations while the power control mode appears respiration-robust when the coil moves with respiration (SAR peak decrease: 9% exhale→inhale). Instead, a spatially fixed coil setup yields higher SAR variations with respiration. CONCLUSION Respiratory motion does not only affect the B 1 + $$ {B}_1^{+} $$ distribution and hence the image contrast, but also location and magnitude of the peak spatial SAR. Therefore, respiration effects may need to be included in safety analyses of RF coils applied to the human thorax.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Schoen
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Seifert
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Petzold
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregory J Metzger
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Oliver Speck
- Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Eberhardt B, Poser BA, Shah NJ, Felder J. B1 field map synthesis with generative deep learning used in the design of parallel-transmit RF pulses for ultra-high field MRI. Z Med Phys 2022; 32:334-345. [PMID: 35144850 PMCID: PMC9948838 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Spoke trajectory parallel transmit (pTX) excitation in ultra-high field MRI enables B1+ inhomogeneities arising from the shortened RF wavelength in biological tissue to be mitigated. To this end, current RF excitation pulse design algorithms either employ the acquisition of field maps with subsequent non-linear optimization or a universal approach applying robust pre-computed pulses. We suggest and evaluate an intermediate method that uses a subset of acquired field maps combined with generative machine learning models to reduce the pulse calibration time while offering more tailored excitation than robust pulses (RP). The possibility of employing image-to-image translation and semantic image synthesis machine learning models based on generative adversarial networks (GANs) to deduce the missing field maps is examined. Additionally, an RF pulse design that employs a predictive machine learning model to find solutions for the non-linear (two-spokes) pulse design problem is investigated. As a proof of concept, we present simulation results obtained with the suggested machine learning approaches that were trained on a limited data-set, acquired in vivo. The achieved excitation homogeneity based on a subset of half of the B1+ maps acquired in the calibration scans and half of the B1+ maps synthesized with GANs is comparable with state of the art pulse design methods when using the full set of calibration data while halving the total calibration time. By employing RP dictionaries or machine-learning RF pulse predictions, the total calibration time can be reduced significantly as these methods take only seconds or milliseconds per slice, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Eberhardt
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jüich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Benedikt A. Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - N. Jon Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jüich, Germany,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 11, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany,Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany,JARA-BRAIN, Translational Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg Felder
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jüich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Le Ster C, Mauconduit F, Massire A, Boulant N, Gras V. Standardized universal pulse: A fast RF calibration approach to improve flip angle accuracy in parallel transmission. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2839-2850. [PMID: 35122302 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In parallel transmission (pTX), subject-tailored RF pulses allow achieving excellent flip angle (FA) accuracy but often require computationally extensive online optimizations, precise characterization of the static field ( Δ B 0 ), and the transmit RF field ( B 1 + ) distributions. This costs time and requires expertise from the MR user. Universal pulses (UPs) have been proposed to reduce this burden, yet, with a penalty in FA accuracy. This study introduces the concept of standardized universal pulses (SUPs), where pulses are designed offline and adjusted to the subject through a fast online calibration scan. METHODS A SUP is designed offline using a so-called standardized database, wherein each B 1 + map has been normalized to a reference transmit RF field distribution. When scanning a new subject, a 3-slice B 1 + acquisition (scan time < 10 s) is performed and used to adjust the SUP to the subject through a linear transform. SUP performance was assessed at 7T with simulations by computing the FA-normalized root mean square error (FA-NRMSE) and the FA pattern stability as measured by the average and coefficient of variation of the FA across 15 control subjects, along with in vivo experiments using an MP2RAGE sequence implementing the SUP variant for the FLASH readout. RESULTS Adjusted SUP improved the FA-NRMSE (8.8 % for UP vs. 7.1 % for adjusted SUP). Experimentally in vivo, this translated in an improved signal homogeneity and more accurate T 1 quantification using MP2RAGE. CONCLUSION The proposed SUP approach improves excitation accuracy (FA-NRMSE) while preserving the same offline pulse design principle as offered by UPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Le Ster
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Nicolas Boulant
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Vincent Gras
- NeuroSpin, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Plumley A, Watkins L, Treder M, Liebig P, Murphy K, Kopanoglu E. Rigid motion-resolved B 1 + prediction using deep learning for real-time parallel-transmission pulse design. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:2254-2270. [PMID: 34958134 PMCID: PMC7613077 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Tailored parallel-transmit (pTx) pulses produce uniform excitation profiles at 7 T, but are sensitive to head motion. A potential solution is real-time pulse redesign. A deep learning framework is proposed to estimate pTx B1+ distributions following within-slice motion, which can then be used for tailored pTx pulse redesign. Methods Using simulated data, conditional generative adversarial networks were trained to predict B1+ distributions in the head following a displacement. Predictions were made for two virtual body models that were not included in training. Predicted maps were compared with groundtruth (simulated, following motion) B1+ maps. Tailored pTx pulses were designed using B1+ maps at the original position (simulated, no motion) and evaluated using simulated B1+ maps at displaced position (ground-truth maps) to quantify motion-related excitation error. A second pulse was designed using predicted maps (also evaluated on ground-truth maps) to investigate improvement offered by the proposed method. Results Predicted B1+ maps corresponded well with ground-truth maps. Error in predicted maps was lower than motion-related error in 99% and 67% of magnitude and phase evaluations, respectively. Worst-case flip-angle normalized RMS error due to motion (76% of target flip angle) was reduced by 59% when pulses were redesigned using predicted maps. Conclusion We propose a framework for predicting B1+ maps online with deep neural networks. Predicted maps can then be used for real-time tailored pulse redesign, helping to overcome head motion–related error in pTx.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alix Plumley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Watkins
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Treder
- School of Computer Science and Informatics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kevin Murphy
- School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Emre Kopanoglu
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Platt T, Ladd ME, Paech D. 7 Tesla and Beyond: Advanced Methods and Clinical Applications in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Invest Radiol 2021; 56:705-725. [PMID: 34510098 PMCID: PMC8505159 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Ultrahigh magnetic fields offer significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio, and several magnetic resonance applications additionally benefit from a higher contrast-to-noise ratio, with static magnetic field strengths of B0 ≥ 7 T currently being referred to as ultrahigh fields (UHFs). The advantages of UHF can be used to resolve structures more precisely or to visualize physiological/pathophysiological effects that would be difficult or even impossible to detect at lower field strengths. However, with these advantages also come challenges, such as inhomogeneities applying standard radiofrequency excitation techniques, higher energy deposition in the human body, and enhanced B0 field inhomogeneities. The advantages but also the challenges of UHF as well as promising advanced methodological developments and clinical applications that particularly benefit from UHF are discussed in this review article.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Platt
- From the Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
| | - Mark E. Ladd
- From the Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen
| | - Daniel Paech
- Division of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
- Clinic for Neuroradiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Meixner CR, Eisen CK, Schmitter S, Müller M, Herrler J, Hensel B, Dörfler A, Uder M, Nagel AM. Hybrid B 1 + -shimming and gradient adaptions for improved pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling at 7 Tesla. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:207-219. [PMID: 34411335 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To improve pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pcASL) at 7T by exploiting a hybrid homogeneity- and efficiency-optimized B 1 + -shim with adapted gradient strength as well as background suppression. METHODS The following three experiments were performed at 7T, each employing five volunteers: (1) A hybrid (ie, homogeneity-efficiency optimized) B 1 + -shim was introduced and evaluated for variable-rate selective excitation pcASL labeling. Therefore, B 1 + -maps in the V3 segment and time-of-flight images were acquired to identify the feeding arteries. For validation, a gradient-echo sequence was applied in circular polarized (CP) mode and with the hybrid B 1 + -shim. Additionally, the gray matter (temporal) signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) in pcASL perfusion images was evaluated. (2) Bloch simulations for the pcASL labeling were conducted and validated experimentally, with a focus on the slice-selective gradients. (3) Background suppression was added to the B 1 + -shimmed, gradient-adapted 7T sequence and this was then compared to a matched sequence at 3T. RESULTS The B 1 + -shim improved the signal within the labeling plane (23.6%) and the SNR/tSNR increased (+11%/+11%) compared to its value in CP mode; however, the increase was not significant. In accordance with the simulations, the adapted gradients increased the tSNR (35%) and SNR (45%) significantly. Background suppression further improved the perfusion images at 7T, and this protocol performed as well as a resolution-matched protocol at 3T. CONCLUSION The combination of the proposed hybrid B 1 + -phase-shim with the adapted slice-selective gradients and background suppression shows great potential for improved pcASL labeling under suboptimal B 1 + conditions at 7T.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian R Meixner
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian K Eisen
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Max Müller
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Herrler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hensel
- Center for Medical Physics and Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arnd Dörfler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Uder
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Aigner CS, Dietrich S, Schaeffter T, Schmitter S. Calibration-free pTx of the human heart at 7T via 3D universal pulses. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:70-84. [PMID: 34399002 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE MRI at ultra-high fields in the human body is highly challenging and requires lengthy calibration times to compensate for spatially heterogeneous B 1 + profiles. This study investigates the feasibility of using pre-computed universal pulses for calibration-free homogeneous 3D flip angle distribution in the human heart at 7T. METHODS Twenty-two channel-wise 3D B 1 + data sets were acquired under free-breathing in 19 subjects to generate a library for an offline universal pulse (UP) design (group 1: 12 males [M] and 7 females [F], 21-66 years, 19.8-28.3 kg/m2 ). Three of these subjects (2M/1F, 21-33 years, 20.8-23.6 kg/m2 ) were re-scanned on different days. A 4kT-points UP optimized for the 22 channel-wise 3D B 1 + data sets in group 1 (UP22-4kT) is proposed and applied at 7T in 9 new and unseen subjects (group 2: 4M/5F, 25-56 years, 19.5-35.3 kg/m2 ). Multiple tailored and universal static and dynamic parallel-transmit (pTx) pulses were designed and evaluated for different permutations of the B 1 + data sets in group 1 and 2. RESULTS The proposed UP22-4kT provides low B 1 + variation in all subjects, seen and unseen, without severe signal drops. Experimental data at 7T acquired with UP22-4kT shows comparable image quality as data acquired with tailored-4kT pulses and demonstrates successful calibration-free pTx of the human heart. CONCLUSION UP22-4kT allows for calibration-free homogeneous flip angle distributions across the human heart at 7T. Large inter-subject variations because of sex, age, and body mass index are well tolerated. The proposed universal pulse removes the need for lengthy (10-15 min) calibration scans and therefore has the potential to bring body imaging at 7T closer to the clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastian Dietrich
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Schaeffter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
German A, Mennecke A, Martin J, Hanspach J, Liebert A, Herrler J, Kuder TA, Schmidt M, Nagel A, Uder M, Doerfler A, Winkler J, Zaiss M, Laun FB. Brain tissues have single-voxel signatures in multi-spectral MRI. Neuroimage 2021; 234:117986. [PMID: 33757906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the seminal works by Brodmann and contemporaries, it is well-known that different brain regions exhibit unique cytoarchitectonic and myeloarchitectonic features. Transferring the approach of classifying brain tissues - and other tissues - based on their intrinsic features to the realm of magnetic resonance (MR) is a longstanding endeavor. In the 1990s, atlas-based segmentation replaced earlier multi-spectral classification approaches because of the large overlap between the class distributions. Here, we explored the feasibility of performing global brain classification based on intrinsic MR features, and used several technological advances: ultra-high field MRI, q-space trajectory diffusion imaging revealing voxel-intrinsic diffusion properties, chemical exchange saturation transfer and semi-solid magnetization transfer imaging as a marker of myelination and neurochemistry, and current neural network architectures to analyze the data. In particular, we used the raw image data as well to increase the number of input features. We found that a global brain classification of roughly 97 brain regions was feasible with gross classification accuracy of 60%; and that mapping from voxel-intrinsic MR data to the brain region to which the data belongs is possible. This indicates the presence of unique MR signals of different brain regions, similar to their cytoarchitectonic and myeloarchitectonic fingerprints.
Collapse
|
27
|
Liebert A, Tkotz K, Herrler J, Linz P, Mennecke A, German A, Liebig P, Gumbrecht R, Schmidt M, Doerfler A, Uder M, Zaiss M, Nagel AM. Whole-brain quantitative CEST MRI at 7T using parallel transmission methods and B 1 + correction. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:346-362. [PMID: 33634505 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To enable whole-brain quantitative CEST MRI at ultra-high magnetic field strengths (B0 ≥ 7T) within short acquisition times. METHODS Multiple interleaved mode saturation (MIMOSA) was combined with fast online-customized (FOCUS) parallel transmission (pTx) excitation pulses and B 1 + correction to achieve homogenous whole-brain coverage. Examinations of 13 volunteers were performed on a 7T MRI system with 3 different types of pulse sequences: (1) saturation in circular polarized (CP) mode and CP mode readout, (2) MIMOSA and CP readout, and (3) MIMOSA and FOCUS readout. For comparison, the inverse magnetic transfer ratio metric for relayed nuclear Overhauser effect and amide proton transfer were calculated. To investigate the number of required acquisitions for a good B 1 + correction, 4 volunteers were measured with 6 different B1 amplitudes. Finally, time point repeatability was investigated for 6 volunteers. RESULTS MIMOSA FOCUS sequence using B 1 + correction, with both single and multiple points, reduced inhomogeneity of the CEST contrasts around the occipital lobe and cerebellum. Results indicate that the most stable inter-subject coefficient of variation was achieved using the MIMOSA FOCUS sequence. Time point repeatability of MIMOSA FOCUS with single-point B 1 + correction showed a maximum coefficient of variation below 8% for 3 measurements in a single volunteer. CONCLUSION A combination of MIMOSA FOCUS with a single-point B 1 + correction can be used to achieve quantitative CEST measurements at ultra-high magnetic field strengths. Compared to previous B 1 + correction methods, acquisition time can be reduced as additional scans required for B 1 + correction can be omitted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Liebert
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katharina Tkotz
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Herrler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Linz
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Angelika Mennecke
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alex German
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | | | | | - Manuel Schmidt
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arnd Doerfler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Uder
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Institute of Radiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|