Research Report 2010 - MDC

Christof Thalhammer (as of 11/09)SecretariatSonja Eising (as of 10/09)Start of Group: August 2009high magnetic field strengths B 0 . Rapid spin echo basedpulse sequences successfully developed by members ofour group offer a distortion-free alternative to EPI forfMRI. Consequently, activation may be mappedthroughout the brain using spin-echo based methodswith greater confidence than when using EPI. The challengesto spin echo techniques are adequate temporalresolution for fMRI and avoiding excessive RF powerdeposition which will be a focus in the anticipatedresearch program.Figure 1. QuantitativeT 2 *-relaxation map of thehuman heart superimposedto a short axisanatomical view of thehuman heart. Themyocardial T 2 *-mappingapproach proposed by ourgroup is of value for theassessment of myocardialiron content and myocardialtissue oxygenation.RF Coil DevelopmentsThe sensitivity advantage afforded by ultrahigh-fieldimaging is the driving force behind several technologicaldevelopments. One ongoing development pioneeredby our group is a broad move towards MR systemswith 32 or more receiver channels. This includesthe development and clinical evaluation of many elementRF coil arrays designed for RF transmission andsignal reception. Here, the group’s research activitiesaim to go beyond conventional proton imaging to fosterexplorations into imaging of sodium, fluor, andother nuclei to gain a better insight into metabolic andmolecular processes.Selected PublicationsT. Frauenrath, F. Hezel, U. Heinrichs, S. Kozerke, J. F. Utting, M. Kob, C.Butenweg, P. Boesiger, T. Niendorf (2009) Feasibility of Cardiac GatingFree of Interference with Electro-Magnetic Fields at 1.5 Tesla, 3.0 Teslaand 7.0 Tesla Using an MR-Stethoscope. Invest. Radiol., [Epub ahead ofprint].Figure 2. Short axis views of the heart together with whole R-Rinterval time series of one-dimensional projections along the dottedline profile marked in the short axis view. CINE images wereobtained at 7.0 T using conventional ECG (left) the ACousticTriggering (ACT) (right) approach proposed by our group. ECG triggeredCINE imaging was prone to severe cardiac motion artifactsdue to R-wave misregistration. In comparison, acoustically triggeredCINE imaging at 7.0 T produces images of the human heart free ofmotion artifacts.J.F. Utting, S. Kozerke, R. Luechinger, R. Schnitker, R. Vohn, T. Niendorf(2009)Feasibility of k-t BLAST for BOLD fMRI with a Spin-Echo BasedAcquisition at 3.0 T and 7.0 T. Invest. Radiol., [Epub ahead of print].U. Heinrichs, J. F. Utting, T. Frauenrath, F. Hezel, G. A. Krombach, M. A. J.Hodenius, S. Kozerke, T. Niendorf (2009) Myocardial T2* Mapping Free ofDistortion Using Susceptibility Weighted Fast Spin-Echo Imaging: AFeasibility Study at 1.5 T and 3.0 T. Magn. Reson. Med., 62:822-828.T. Niendorf, C.J. Hardy, R.O. Giaquinto, P. Gross, H. Cline, Y. Zhu, G. Kenwood,S. Cohen, A. Grant, S. Joshi, N.M. Rofsky, D.K. Sodickson (2006) TowardsSingle Breath-Hold Whole Heart Coverage Coronary MRA using HighlyAccelerated Parallel Imaging with a 32-Channel MR System. Magn. Reson.Med., 56:167-176, IF 3.427.T. Niendorf, D.K. Sodickson. (2006) Parallel Imaging in Cardiovascular MRI:Methods and Applications. NMR Biomed. 19:325-41, IF 3.626.Patent applicationsT. Niendorf, U. HeinrichsMethod for Susceptibility Weighted, Distortion Free Magnetic ResonanceImaging of the Cardiovascular SystemPatent DE 10 2007 045 172.7 (2008)T. Niendorf, F. HezelMethod for Automatic Motion Analysis and Quality Assurance inCardiovascular Magnetic Resonance ImagingPatent application 10 2009 011 382.7 (2009)Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Research 47