Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: December 4, 2016
Enhancement effects and relaxivities of gadolinium-DTPA at 1.5 versus 3 Tesla: a phantom study
Makoto Sasaki1, Eri Shibata, Yoshiyuki Kanbara
1Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan. masasaki@iwate-med.ac.jp
Purpose:
To investigate the difference in enhancement effects and relaxivities of the gadolinium chelate at 1.5 and 3 Tesla (T) and to elucidate the contribution of the high magnetic field to contrast enhancement in spin-echo (SE) and gradient-echo (GRE) images.
Methods:
Phantoms containing water with or without gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) at different concentrations were scanned using 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners of the same manufacturer and under the same temperature conditions and scanning parameters. Relaxivities of gadolinium, R1 and R2, were estimated from serial T1 and T2 values of the phantoms using linear regression. Contrast enhancement ratios in SE and GRE T1-weighted images were compared at 1.5 and 3T.
Results:
The R1 and R2 of Gd-DTPA at 1.5 and 3T were 4.79 and 5.14, and 4.50 and 5.09, respectively. Although the relaxivities at 3T were slightly lower than those at 1.5T, the contrast enhancement ratio improved in both SE and GRE images as a result of T1 prolongation of the water at 3T.
Conclusion:
The decrease in relaxivities of the Gd-DTPA at 3T appears to be so small that T1 prolongation of the water improves contrast enhancement, suggesting a potential clinical advantage in administration of Gd-DTPA at high field strength.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Magnetic Resonance Imaging
01:14Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...
01:18Effects of EDTA on End-Point Detection Methods
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a result, EDTA...
01:27Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography