Bo Li1, Hao Li2, Li Dong3, Guofu Huang4. 1. Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330008 Nanchang, P.R. China; Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330008 Nanchang, P.R. China. 2. Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, UK. 3. Department of Radiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100029 Beijing, P.R. China. Electronic address: lidongmd@163.com. 4. Department of Ophthalmology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330008 Nanchang, P.R. China. Electronic address: ndsfy001613@ncu.edu.cn.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of fast carotid artery MR angiography (MRA) by combining three-dimensional time-of-flight (3D TOF) with compressed sensing method (CS-3D TOF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pseudo-sequential phase encoding order was developed for CS-3D TOF to generate hyper-intense vessel and suppress background tissues in under-sampled 3D k-space. Seven healthy volunteers and one patient with carotid artery stenosis were recruited for this study. Five sequential CS-3D TOF scans were implemented at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-fold acceleration factors for carotid artery MRA. Blood signal-to-tissue ratio (BTR) values for fully-sampled and under-sampled acquisitions were calculated and compared in seven subjects. Blood area (BA) was measured and compared between fully sampled acquisition and each under-sampled one. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the fully-sampled dataset and each under-sampled in BTR comparisons (P>0.05 for all comparisons). The carotid vessel BAs measured from the images of CS-3D TOF sequences with 2, 3, 4 and 5-fold acceleration scans were all highly correlated with that of the fully-sampled acquisition. The contrast between blood vessels and background tissues of the images at 2 to 5-fold acceleration is comparable to that of fully sampled images. The images at 2× to 5× exhibit the comparable lumen definition to the corresponding images at 1×. CONCLUSION: By combining the pseudo-sequential phase encoding order, CS reconstruction, and 3D TOF sequence, this technique provides excellent visualizations for carotid vessel and calcifications in a short scan time. It has the potential to be integrated into current multiple blood contrast imaging protocol.
OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of fast carotid artery MR angiography (MRA) by combining three-dimensional time-of-flight (3D TOF) with compressed sensing method (CS-3D TOF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pseudo-sequential phase encoding order was developed for CS-3D TOF to generate hyper-intense vessel and suppress background tissues in under-sampled 3D k-space. Seven healthy volunteers and one patient with carotid artery stenosis were recruited for this study. Five sequential CS-3D TOF scans were implemented at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-fold acceleration factors for carotid artery MRA. Blood signal-to-tissue ratio (BTR) values for fully-sampled and under-sampled acquisitions were calculated and compared in seven subjects. Blood area (BA) was measured and compared between fully sampled acquisition and each under-sampled one. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the fully-sampled dataset and each under-sampled in BTR comparisons (P>0.05 for all comparisons). The carotid vessel BAs measured from the images of CS-3D TOF sequences with 2, 3, 4 and 5-fold acceleration scans were all highly correlated with that of the fully-sampled acquisition. The contrast between blood vessels and background tissues of the images at 2 to 5-fold acceleration is comparable to that of fully sampled images. The images at 2× to 5× exhibit the comparable lumen definition to the corresponding images at 1×. CONCLUSION: By combining the pseudo-sequential phase encoding order, CS reconstruction, and 3D TOF sequence, this technique provides excellent visualizations for carotid vessel and calcifications in a short scan time. It has the potential to be integrated into current multiple blood contrast imaging protocol.
Authors: Ioannis Koktzoglou; Rong Huang; Archie L Ong; Pascale J Aouad; Matthew T Walker; Robert R Edelman Journal: Magn Reson Med Date: 2020-06-10 Impact factor: 4.668
Authors: J Ding; Y Duan; Z Zhuo; Y Yuan; G Zhang; Q Song; B Gao; B Zhang; M Wang; L Yang; Y Hou; J Yuan; C Feng; J Wang; L Lin; Y Liu Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2021-04-15 Impact factor: 4.966