Biomedical subjects

Hee Kwon Song

Publications and source records attributed to Hee Kwon Song.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

High frame-rate simultaneous bilateral breast DCE-MRI.

A simultaneous bilateral back-projection method for 3D dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of the breasts was developed and evaluated. Using a double-side band modulation of the RF slab excitation pulse, discontinuous volumes that included both breasts were simultaneously selected. The number of slice phase-encoding steps was undersampled by a factor of 2, and the resulting signal aliasing from one volume to the other was removed using SENSE processing. In-plane encoding was performed with an interleaved radial acquisition reconstructed using dynamic k-space-weighted image contrast (KWIC) temporal filtering. Image resolution was 0.5 x 0.5 x 3.0 mm(3) with an effective temporal resolution of 15 s for both breast volumes. Combined with the 2x acceleration from SENSE encoding, this is a 16x acceleration factor over a conventional MR bilateral breast scan. An initial evaluation of these methods was performed on a cohort of women who presented with palpable or mammographically visible breast abnormalities. A total of 73 abnormalities were found in 45 of the 54 bilateral examinations that were performed. In 11 of these cases there was a significant finding in the contralateral breast. DCE images of both breasts can be acquired simultaneously, resulting in high-resolution images as well as rapid sampling of the contrast kinetics.

Breast↗

PubMed2006

Echo-spacing optimization for the simultaneous measurement of reversible (R2') and irreversible (R2) transverse relaxation rates.

Accurate measurement of reversible (R2') and irreversible (R2) transverse relaxation rates plays a key role in various magnetic resonance imaging research and applications. Although optimization of echo spacing for a multiecho pulse sequence measuring a single exponential decay has been investigated, optimization in sequences such as Gradient-Echo Sampling of Free Induction Decay and Echo (GESFIDE), in which two echo trains are simultaneously measured to obtain both R2 and R2', has not been reported. In this work, optimum echo spacings for the GESFIDE sequence are determined to improve the accuracy of measured relaxation parameters. Various relaxation rates and the number of acquired echoes are considered, as well as whether the receiver bandwidth is kept fixed or is varied with echo spacing. In the case of constant receiver bandwidth, results show that the echo train length approximately equal to T2* should be used for each echo train in GESFIDE to minimize uncertainty in R2 or R2'. If the receiver bandwidth is allowed to change with echo spacing in order to maximize the image signal-to-noise ratio, the optimum echo train length will vary, generally increasing with the number of echoes.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Experimental and computational analyses of the effects of slice distortion from a metallic sphere in an MRI phantom.

Susceptibility artifacts due to metallic prostheses are a major problem in clinical magnetic resonance imaging. We theoretically and experimentally analyze slice distortion arising from susceptibility differences in a phantom consisting of a stainless steel ball bearing embedded in agarose gel. To relate the observed image artifacts to slice distortion, we simulate images produced by 2D and 3D spin-echo (SE) and a view angle tilting (VAT) sequence. Two-dimensional SE sequences suffer from extreme slice distortion when a metal prosthesis is present, unlike 3D SE sequences for which--since slices are phase-encoded--distortion of the slice profile is minimized, provided the selected slab is larger than the region of interest. In a VAT sequence, artifacts are reduced by the application of a gradient along the slice direction during readout. However, VAT does not correct for the excitation slice profile, which results in the excitation of spins outside the desired slice location and can lead to incorrect anatomical information in MR images. We propose that the best sequences for imaging in the presence of a metal prosthesis utilize 3D acquisition, with phase encoding replacing slice selection to minimize slice distortion, combined with excitation and readout gradient strengths at their maximum values.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2006

Improved optimization strategies for autofocusing motion compensation in MRI via the analysis of image metric maps.

Autofocusing is a postprocessing technique for motion correction, which optimizes an image quality metric against various trial motions. In this work, image metric maps, which are measures of image quality plotted as a function of in-plane 2-D trial translations, are systematically studied to develop improved autofocusing motion correction algorithms. It is shown that determining object motion with autofocusing is equivalent to an image metric map optimization problem. These maps provide insights into the motion compensation process and help improve several aspects of the correction algorithm, including the selection of the image metric and motion search strategy. A highly efficient and robust 2-D global optimization method is devised, exploiting the properties of the metric map pattern. The improved algorithm is used to correct phantom and clinical MR images with in-plane 2-D translational motion and is shown to be more effective than existing methods.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

Role of magnetic resonance and intravascular magnetic resonance in the detection of vulnerable plaques.

Noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to determine vascular three-dimensional structure, detect the presence of subclinical atherosclerotic disease in high-risk patient subgroups, and optimize and follow therapy in individual patients. The outstanding soft-tissue-characterizing capabilities of MRI permit depiction of various components of atherothrombotic plaque, including lipid, fibrous tissue, calcium, and thrombus formation. However, noninvasive MRI visualization of coronary arteries is currently limited by the small size of the coronary arteries, the deep arterial location, and arterial motion. The combination of MR imaging and molecular probes offers exciting possibilities of direct visualization of biologic processes within atherosclerotic tissue. The self-contained intravascular MRI probe appears to hold promise in the identification of high-risk coronary atherosclerotic lesions with increased superficial lipid content.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Quantitative MRI for the assessment of bone structure and function.

Osteoporosis is the most common degenerative disease in the elderly. It is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to morbidity and increased fracture risk in the hip, spine and wrist-all sites of predominantly trabecular bone. Bone densitometry, currently the standard methodology for diagnosis and treatment monitoring, has significant limitations in that it cannot provide information on the structural manifestations of the disease. Recent advances in imaging, in particular MRI, can now provide detailed insight into the architectural consequences of disease progression and regression in response to treatment. The focus of this review is on the emerging methodology of quantitative MRI for the assessment of structure and function of trabecular bone. During the past 10 years, various approaches have been explored for obtaining image-based quantitative information on trabecular architecture. Indirect methods that do not require resolution on the scale of individual trabeculae and therefore can be practiced at any skeletal location, make use of the induced magnetic fields in the intertrabecular space. These fields, which have their origin in the greater diamagnetism of bone relative to surrounding marrow, can be measured in various ways, most typically in the form of R2', the recoverable component of the total transverse relaxation rate. Alternatively, the trabecular network can be quantified by high-resolution MRI (micro-MRI), which requires resolution adequate to at least partially resolve individual trabeculae. Micro-MRI-based structure analysis is therefore technically demanding in terms of image acquisition and algorithms needed to extract the structural information under conditions of limited signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. Other requirements that must be met include motion correction and image registration, both critical for achieving the reproducibility needed in repeat studies. Key clinical applications targeted involve fracture risk prediction and evaluation of the effect of therapeutic intervention.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Mineral volume and morphology in carotid plaque specimens using high-resolution MRI and CT.

OBJECTIVE: High-resolution MRI methods have been used to evaluate carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque content. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of high-resolution MRI in evaluation of the quantity and pattern of mineral deposition in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) specimens, with quantitative micro-CT as the gold standard. METHODS AND RESULTS: High-resolution MRI and CT were compared in 20 CEA specimens. Linear regression comparing mineral volumes generated from CT (VCT) and MRI (VMRI) data demonstrated good correlation using simple thresholding (VMRI=-0.01+0.98VCT; R2=0.90; threshold=4xnoise) and k-means clustering methods (VMRI=-0.005+1.38VCT; R2=0.93). Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC [mineral mass]) were calculated for CT data and BMC verified with ash weight. Patterns of mineralization like particles, granules, and sheets were more clearly depicted on CT. CONCLUSIONS: Mineral volumes generated from MRI or CT data were highly correlated. CT provided a more detailed depiction of mineralization patterns and provided BMD and BMC in addition to mineral volume. The extent of mineralization as well as the morphology may ultimately be useful in assessing plaque stability.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Spatially-confined arterial spin-labeling with FAIR.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of slab-selective inversion in pulsed arterial spin labeling with body coil excitation as a means to reduce large vessel contamination of the perfusion signal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies were conducted by varying the tagging width in multislice flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) in conjunction with body coil excitation on a Siemens Sonata whole-body 1.5-T scanner. The results of spatially-confined tagging were then compared with conventional nonselective tagging in the presence and absence of a bipolar gradient crusher pair in order to determine the effectiveness of suppressing vascular signal and to estimate the bolus width that reaches the capillary bed. RESULTS: It is shown in five volunteers, ages 23-38 years, that depending on the average velocity of the arterial blood flow in the tagging region, a bolus of 6-8 cm in width reaches the capillary bed at a fixed inversion time TI of 1.4 seconds, while a bolus of 11.2-16.5 cm in width enters the imaging region. Further, noticeable velocity differences have been found among the participating subjects, with averages ranging from 10.1 to 13.9 cm/second. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that it is advantageous to replace nonselective global tagging in FAIR perfusion imaging with body coil excitation by spatially-confined tagging to reduce undesired residual tagged blood in large vessels.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Implications of pulse sequence in structural imaging of trabecular bone.

PURPOSE: To investigate the SNR and image properties of 3D steady-state free precession (SSFP), fast large-angle spin echo (FLASE), gradient-recalled acquisition in steady state (GRASS), and spoiled GRASS (SPGR) for structural imaging of trabecular bone (TB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: SNR was examined theoretically and experimentally on phantoms, bone specimens, and in vivo. The bone volume fraction, TB thickness, and echo time (TE) dependence of the thickness were compared. The trabecula was modeled as a cylinder in simulations to examine the intra-voxel spin-dephasing in SSFP and GRASS. Images were acquired on a 1.5 T Siemens Sonata system (40 mT/m maximum gradient, 200 T/m/s peak slew rate). RESULTS: Within the hardware and safety limit constraints, SNR of FLASE was superior, followed by SSFP, GRASS, and SPGR. The trabecular thickness derived from gradient-echo images was 10-45% greater than that obtained with FLASE. Conversely, SSFP images delineated partial volume trabeculae better than FLASE. Simulations indicated that the artifactual thickening was more severe in SSFP than in GRASS, which was attributed to off-resonance effects from the induced gradients at the bone/marrow interface. CONCLUSION: FLASE had the highest SNR and was insensitive to susceptibility dephasing. Although SSFP has superior SNR compared to GRASS, off-resonance effects and duty cycle limitations may compromise its practicality in this application. Inc.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

High-resolution black-blood MRI of the carotid vessel wall using phased-array coils at 1.5 and 3 Tesla.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this report is to investigate the magnetic field dependence of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for carotid vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging using phased-array (PA) surface coils by comparing images obtained at 1.5 and 3 Tesla (T) and determine the extent to which the improved SNR at the higher field can be traded for improved spatial resolution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two pairs of dual-element PA coils were constructed for operation at the two field strengths. The individual elements of each PA were matched to 50 Omega impedance on the neck and tuned at the respective frequencies. The coils were evaluated on a cylindrical phantom positioned with its axis parallel to the main field and the coils placed on either side of the phantom parallel to the sagittal plane. In vivo magnetic resonance images of the carotid arteries were obtained in five subjects at both field strengths with a fast spin-echo double-inversion black-blood pulse sequence with fat saturation. SNR was measured at both field strengths by using standard techniques. RESULTS: At a depth corresponding to the average location of the carotid arteries in the study subjects, mean phantom SNR for the two coils was higher at 3 T by a factor of 2.5. The greater than linear increase is caused by only partial coil loading of these relatively small coils. The practically achievable average SNR gain in vivo was 2.1. The lower in vivo SNR gain is attributed to a reduction in T2 and prolongation of T1 at the higher field strength and, to a lesser extent, the requirement for a decreased refocusing pulse flip angle to operate within specific absorption rate limits. The superior SNR at 3 T appears to provide considerably improved vessel-wall delineation. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid artery vessel-wall magnetic resonance imaging using PA surface coils provides a considerable increase in SNR when field strength is increased from 1.5 to 3 T. This increase can be traded for enhanced in-plane resolution.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Correcting bulk in-plane motion artifacts in MRI using the point spread function.

A technique is proposed for correcting both translational and rotational motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging without the need to collect additional navigator data or to perform intensive postprocessing. The method is based on measuring the point spread function (PSF) by attaching one or two point-sized markers to the main imaging object. Following the isolation of a PSF marker from the acquired image, translational motion could be corrected directly from the modulation transfer function, without the need to determine the object's positions during the scan, although the shifts could be extracted if desired. Rotation is detected by analyzing the relative displacements of two such markers. The technique was evaluated with simulations, phantom and in vivo experiments.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Coherence-induced artifacts in large-flip-angle steady-state spin-echo imaging.

High-resolution imaging of trabecular bone aimed at analyzing the bone's microarchitecture is preferably performed with spin-echo-type pulse sequences. Unlike gradient echoes, spin-echoes are immune to artifactual broadening of trabeculae caused by local static field gradients near the bone-bone marrow interface and signal loss from chemical shift dephasing at k-space center. However, the previously practiced 3D fast large-angle spin-echo (FLASE) pulse sequence was found to be prone to a low-frequency modulation artifact in both the readout and slice direction. The artifact is caused by deviations in the effective flip angle of the nonselective 180 degrees pulse, which converts a fraction of the phase-encoded transverse magnetization to longitudinal magnetization. The latter recurs as transverse magnetization in the subsequent pulse sequence cycle forming a spurious stimulated echo. The objective of this work was to perform a k-space analysis of this steady-state artifact and propose two modifications of the original 3D FLASE that effectively remove it. The results of the simulations were in exact agreement with the experiments and the proposed remedy was found to eliminate the artifact.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2004

Dynamic MRI with projection reconstruction and KWIC processing for simultaneous high spatial and temporal resolution.

A method for dynamic imaging in MRI is presented that enables the acquisition of a series of images with both high temporal and high spatial resolution. The technique, which is based on the projection reconstruction (PR) imaging scheme, utilizes distinct data acquisition and reconstruction strategies to achieve this simultaneous capability. First, during acquisition, data are collected in multiple undersampled passes, with the view angles interleaved in such a way that those of subsequent passes bisect the views of earlier ones. During reconstruction, these views are weighted according to a previously described k-space weighted image contrast (KWIC) technique that enables the manipulation of image contrast by selective filtering. Unlike conventional undersampled PR methods, the proposed dynamic KWIC technique does not suffer from low image SNR or image degradation due to streaking artifacts. The effectiveness of dynamic KWIC is demonstrated in both simulations and in vivo, high-resolution, contrast-enhanced imaging of breast lesions.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2003

Arterial transit time imaging with flow encoding arterial spin tagging (FEAST).

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging provides direct and absolute measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Arterial transit time is a related physiological parameter reflecting the duration for the labeled spins to reach the brain region of interest. Most of the existing ASL approaches to assess arterial transit time rely on multiple measurements at various postlabeling delay times, and thus are vulnerable to motion artifact as well as computational error. We describe the use of flow encoding arterial spin tagging (FEAST) technique to measure tissue transit time, which can be derived from the ratio between the ASL signals measured with and without appropriate bipolar gradients. In the present study, we provided a theoretical framework and carried out an experimental validation during steady-state imaging. The global mean tissue transit time was approximately 1100 and 1400 ms for two conditions of bipolar gradients with specific encoding velocity (Venc) of 29 and 8 mm/sec, respectively. The mean tissue transit time measured within cerebral vascular territories was shortest in the deep middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. Application of the FEAST technique in two patients with cerebrovascular disease demonstrated prolonged tissue transit times in the affected vascular territories which were consistent with results from other MR imaging modalities.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

A direct comparison of signal behavior between 4.0 and 1.5 T: a phantom study.

INTRODUCTION: Higher magnetic fields (>or=3 T) afford higher spatial and/or temporal resolution in MR imaging with contrast agents, however, studies containing direct comparisons of signal intensity among different magnetic fields are substantially sparse. Our aim was to quantify the differences in terms of signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) between higher and lower (<or=1.5 T) magnetic fields and to clarify the benefit of higher magnetic fields. METHODS: The same sets of phantom experiments were conducted at both 4 and 1.5 T on whole-body MR scanners with head coils. Phantoms included different concentrations of Gd chelate water solution. A standard contrast-enhanced MR angiographic sequence with the same imaging parameters was utilized to confirm changes in signal intensities. Furthermore, the results were compared with a computer simulation. RESULTS: Peak SNRs at 4 T increased at least 2.21 times higher compared with those at 1.5 T. Moreover, peak CNRs at 4 T increased at least 1.59 times higher compared with those at 1.5 T in the range of Gd concentration expected during clinical use. CONCLUSION: Higher magnetic fields benefit CNRs as well as SNRs. These advantages may lead to a high resolution imaging and reduction of scan time.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed2003

Voxelwise mapping of magnetic resonance ventilation-perfusion ratio in a porcine model by multimodality registration: technical note.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the construction of voxelwise ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) ratio maps in a porcine model by nonrigidly aligning the respective ventilation and perfusion images using a multimodality registration algorithm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The first-pass contrast agent technique for a blood flow map and 3He used for ventilation imaging were performed using a normal porcine model. The registered 3He-ventilation image was then aligned to the blood flow map using a multimodality registration algorithm. The voxelwise V/Q ratios were calculated by dividing the registered 3He-ventilation image by the blood flow map. The V/Q ratios were also semi-logarithmically scatter-plotted against the number of voxels. RESULTS: From perfusion magnetic resonance images, a voxel-by-voxel blood flow map was produced. Registered 3He ventilation image was successfully obtained as well as V/Q ratio map. Plots of the V/Q ratios obtained by this registration approach were similar to the logarithmic normal distribution. CONCLUSION: Registration of MR perfusion and ventilation images can potentially enable quantitative evaluation of regional pulmonary function and thus yield deeper insight into the physiology and pathophysiology of the lung.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Deterioration of trabecular architecture in hypogonadal men.

Bone strength depends on trabecular architecture, characterized by interconnected plates and rods. In osteoporosis, the plates become fenestrated, resulting in more rods that deteriorate and become disconnected. In men, hypogonadism is a common cause of osteoporosis. To determine whether male hypogonadism affects trabecular architecture, we selected 10 men with severe, untreated hypogonadism, and for each hypogonadal man, we selected a eugonadal man matched for race and age. Trabecular architecture in the distal tibia was assessed by magnetic resonance microimaging. Two composite topological indices were determined: the ratio of surface voxels (representing plates) to curve voxels (representing rods), which is higher when architecture is more intact; and the erosion index, a ratio of parameters expected to increase upon architectural deterioration to those expected to decrease, which is higher when deterioration is greater. The surface/curve ratio was 36% lower (P = 0.004), and the erosion index was 36% higher (P = 0.003) in the hypogonadal men than in the eugonadal men. In contrast, bone mineral density of the spine and hip were not significantly different between the two groups. We conclude that male hypogonadism is associated with marked deterioration of trabecular architecture and to a greater degree than bone densitometry of the spine and hip suggests.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2002

Multislice double inversion pulse sequence for efficient black-blood MRI.

Over the last several years there has been a rapidly growing interest in high-resolution MRI of the vascular wall to assess the extent of atherosclerotic lesions. Vessels of particular clinical relevance are the carotid and coronary arteries. Currently, the preferred imaging sequence for these studies is a "black-blood" technique based on the double-inversion scheme to null the blood signal. A critical drawback of the black-blood technique, however, has been its single-slice nature, as there is only one point in time during the recovery of the blood magnetization from inversion at which the signal is completely nulled. Consequently, the total scan time can become prohibitively long, particularly when an imaging protocol includes several series of these datasets. In this work, a multiple-slice double-inversion technique is described that can reduce the scan time by a factor of two or more. It is demonstrated in vivo with examples from carotid and coronary arteries that one can acquire multiple slices with sufficient nulling of blood, following a single set of inversion pulses.

Adult↗