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High-Resolution Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Small Animals
Published on: December 16, 2022
High time-resolved cardiac functional imaging using temporal regularization for small animal on a clinical 3T scanner
Bénédicte M A Delattre1, Dimitri Van De Ville, Vincent Braunersreuther
1Division of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Foundation for Medical Researchers, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. benedicte.delattre@gmail.com
IEEE Transactions on Bio-Medical Engineering
|November 8, 2011
Summary
This study introduces an "interleaved cine" magnetic resonance imaging sequence for accurate mouse cardiac function assessment. This novel sequence enhances image quality and temporal resolution, aiding cardiovascular disease research and drug development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Medical Physics
- Translational Research
Background:
- Accurate assessment of mouse cardiac function is crucial for cardiovascular disease research and drug development.
- Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems are more accessible than dedicated small animal scanners, but often lack the necessary resolution for mouse imaging.
- High spatial and temporal resolutions are required for effective mouse cardiac MRI, posing a challenge for clinical systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence for improved cardiac function assessment in mice using clinical scanners.
- To achieve higher temporal and spatial resolutions compatible with small animal imaging requirements.
- To enhance image quality by addressing artifacts inherent in the new sequence.
Main Methods:
- Development of an "interleaved cine" sequence combining two time-shifted standard cine repetitions.
- Implementation of a two-step denoising algorithm to mitigate artifacts and improve image quality.
- Validation of the sequence using mass and function measurements in mouse models of cardiovascular diseases.
Main Results:
- The "interleaved cine" sequence successfully reduced temporal resolution to 6.8 ms from the system's hardware limit of 13.5 ms.
- The proposed denoising algorithm effectively suppressed periodic intensity patterns and improved overall image quality.
- The validated sequence enabled accurate assessment of cardiac mass and function in relevant mouse models.
Conclusions:
- The "interleaved cine" sequence offers a viable solution for high-resolution cardiac MRI in mice on clinical systems.
- This advancement facilitates translational research in cardiovascular diseases by enabling longitudinal studies and drug development.
- The combination of the novel sequence and denoising algorithm significantly enhances the utility of clinical MRI for small animal cardiac imaging.
