Atherosclerosis characterization using a multi-contrast MRI sequence
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for imaging an atherosclerotic lesion in a subject, comprising the steps of:
- using an MRI machine to acquire multiple spatially co-registered 3D image sets in an interleaved fashion and from the same imaged volume of the subject, during a single scan, wherein the image sets are acquired by performing steps comprising;
(1) applying a non-selective inversion pulse to a volume of interest (VOI) in the subject;
(2) applying a first flow-sensitive dephasing (FSD) preparation;
(3) acquiring hyper T1-weighted data from the VOI in the subject;
(4) acquiring grey-blood data from the VOI in the subject, subsequent to and dependent upon blood signal recovery and the inflow of fresh blood in a vessel with the VOI;
(5) applying a second FSD and T2-weighted preparation; and
(6) acquiring T2-weighted data from the VOI, at the end of the scan.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to imaging and characterizing atherosclerotic lesions. The invention utilizes a low-flip-angle gradient echo-based MRI acquisition technique combined with specialized magnetization preparative schemes (i.e. non-selective inversion and FSD), and multiple co-registered 3D image sets with different contrast weightings are collected in an interleaved fashion. Using the inventive method, a single scan allows for comprehensive assessment of atherosclerotic plaque within just a few minutes.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for imaging an atherosclerotic lesion in a subject, comprising the steps of:
using an MRI machine to acquire multiple spatially co-registered 3D image sets in an interleaved fashion and from the same imaged volume of the subject, during a single scan, wherein the image sets are acquired by performing steps comprising; (1) applying a non-selective inversion pulse to a volume of interest (VOI) in the subject; (2) applying a first flow-sensitive dephasing (FSD) preparation; (3) acquiring hyper T1-weighted data from the VOI in the subject; (4) acquiring grey-blood data from the VOI in the subject, subsequent to and dependent upon blood signal recovery and the inflow of fresh blood in a vessel with the VOI; (5) applying a second FSD and T2-weighted preparation; and (6) acquiring T2-weighted data from the VOI, at the end of the scan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A magnetic resonance imaging system, comprising:
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a magnet operable to provide a magnetic field; a transmitter operable to transmit to a region within the magnetic field; a receiver operable to receive a magnetic resonance signal from the region; and a processor operable to control the transmitter and the receiver;
wherein the processor is configured to direct the transmitter and receiver to execute a sequence, comprising (a) applying a non-selective inversion pulse to a volume of interest (VOI) in a subject;
(b) applying a first flow-sensitive dephasing (FSD) preparation;
(c) acquiring hyper T1-weighted magnetic resonance data from the VOI in the subject;
(d) acquiring grey-blood magnetic resonance data from the VOI in the subject, subsequent to and dependent upon blood signal recovery and the inflow of fresh blood in a vessel within the VOI;
(e) applying a second FSD preparation; and
(f) acquiring T2-weighted data from the VOI, at the end of the sequence; and
wherein the processor is configured to generate an image based on the magnetic resonance data. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having machine executable instructions for causing one or more processors of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine to execute an MRI scan, comprising:
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applying a non-selective inversion pulse to a volume of interest (VOI) in a subject; applying a first flow-sensitive dephasing (FSD) preparation; acquiring hyper T1-weighted magnetic resonance data from the VOI in the subject; acquiring grey-blood magnetic resonance data from the VOI in the subject, subsequent to and dependent upon blood signal recovery and the inflow of fresh blood in a vessel within the VOI; applying a second FSD preparation; acquiring T2-weighted magnetic resonance data from the VOI, at the end of the scan; and generating an image based on the magnetic resonance data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification