Biomedical subjects

Markus Weiger

Publications and source records attributed to Markus Weiger.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Gradient shimming with spectrum optimisation.

Shimming, i.e. homogenising the unavoidable distortion of the static magnetic field B0 in NMR spectroscopy, is still an annoying, time consuming task. Although compared with conventional manual or computerised search methods gradient shimming initiated a new era in terms of operation and efficiency, there remain aspects that inhibit fully automated shimming with a result of guaranteed quality. The major reason for this limitation is that the judgement of the quality of the B0 homogeneity takes place in the spatial domain, although the actual objects of interest are the lines in the spectral domain. In this work, this restriction is removed by the introduction of a new framework for gradient shimming that enables to directly aim at the spectrum quality. Based on the mapped B0 field shimming is simulated and spectra are calculated for the virtual residual inhomogeneity. Using a suitable criterion to judge the spectrum quality an optimisation is performed, thus providing the predicted optimum spectrum and the corresponding residual B0 field. This target field is then aimed at during the real, iterative shimming procedure. For the widely applicable case of optimising the shape of a single line a powerful quality criterion was developed using an envelope of the calculated lineshape spectrum. The whole procedure is demonstrated for adjusting the on-axis shim functions based on one-dimensional field map data and for both on- and off-axis shimming using three-dimensional data. The results are verified with 1H NMR spectra acquired on standard NMR test samples.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Sensitivity encoding as a means of enhancing the SNR efficiency in steady-state MRI.

Sensitivity encoding (SENSE) with a receiver coil array is typically used as a means of reducing the scan time in MRI. The speed benefit usually comes at some expense in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) efficiency, which has been notorious as the main downside of SENSE and parallel MRI in general. In this work it is shown that in steady-state gradient-echo imaging the parallel approach may as well be used to increase the SNR efficiency. The basic idea is to balance reduced phase encoding by increasing the repetition time. In this fashion both the acquisition duty cycle and the steady-state magnetization can be enhanced, resulting in considerable net gains in SNR yield. It is argued that the reduction factor in parallel imaging is essentially an additional degree of freedom in optimizing the SNR. The optimal SENSE factor depends on scan, tissue, and hardware parameters, assuming values up to 3.0 and higher. The achievable SNR benefit also depends on the spoiling regime and is most pronounced for RF-spoiled techniques. The proposed mechanism is demonstrated by simulations and phantom experiments, as well as by contrast-enhanced angiography in vivo, achieving an approximate doubling of the SNR efficiency.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed2003

Parallel spectroscopic imaging with spin-echo trains.

A reduction in scan time in spectroscopic imaging (SI) can be achieved by both fast and reduced k-space sampling. This work presents an ultrafast SI technique that combines the two approaches. The synergy of multiple spin-echo (MSE) acquisition and sensitivity encoding (SENSE) enables high-resolution SI to be performed within a clinically acceptable scan time. MSE-SENSE-SI with echo train lengths ranging from one to four echoes is evaluated with respect to SNR and spatial response function by means of in vitro experiments. It is shown that acquiring two spin-echoes (SEs) per acquisition yields a good practical trade-off among scan time, SNR, and spatial response. The clinical feasibility of the technique is demonstrated in a patient with an astrocytoma, and SI data are obtained with an image matrix of 24 x 24 in just over 2 min.

Astrocytoma↗

PubMed2002

Sensitivity-encoded single-shot spiral imaging for reduced susceptibility artifacts in BOLD fMRI.

Sensitivity encoding (SENSE) with iterative image reconstruction was used to shorten the readout duration in single-shot spiral imaging by a factor of 2. This enabled susceptibility-related blurring and signal loss artifacts to be reduced and spatial resolution to be improved. As a beneficial side effect, the gradient duty cycle was also reduced. The spiral SENSE technique was applied to functional MRI (fMRI) with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast and compared to a conventional spiral acquisition. Stimulation experiments were performed in seven volunteers using motor, visual, and taste paradigms. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and signal-to-fluctuation-noise ratio (SFNR) of the SENSE acquisitions were reduced by 20% and 13%, respectively, with respect to the longer readout. The overall activation detected was comparable to that of the conventional spiral acquisition, even though difficulties in reproducing the stimulation response hampered the evaluation. In some cases, the application of SENSE enabled recovery of activation in regions affected by signal loss due to field inhomogeneity.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2002

2D SENSE for faster 3D MRI.

Sensitivity encoding in two spatial dimensions (2D SENSE) with a receiver coil array is discussed as a means of improving the encoding efficiency of three-dimensional (3D) Fourier MRI. It is shown that in Fourier imaging with two phase encoding directions, 2D SENSE has key advantages over one-dimensional parallel imaging approaches. By exploiting two dimensions for hybrid encoding, the conditioning of the reconstruction problem can be considerably improved, resulting in superior signal-to-noise behavior. As a consequence, 2D SENSE permits greater scan time reduction, which particularly benefits the inherently time-consuming 3D techniques.Along with the principles of 2D SENSE imaging, the properties of the technique are discussed and investigated by means of simulations. Special attention is given to the role of the coil configuration, yielding practical setups with four and six coils. The in vivo feasibility of the two-dimensional approach is demonstrated for 3D head imaging, permitting four-fold scan time reduction.

Computer Simulation↗