Hardware and Software Setup for Quantitative ²³Na Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3T: A Phantom Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Medical Physics

Background:

• ²³Na MRI provides quantitative biochemical information, extending MR capabilities beyond anatomical proton imaging.
• Clinical scanners face challenges with low ²³Na signal and gyromagnetic ratio, necessitating specialized RF coils, sequences, and phantoms.
• Multinuclear spectroscopy (MNS) capabilities are required for advanced MR applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a hardware and software setup for assessing the potential of ²³Na MRI on a clinical scanner.
• To verify the reliability and reproducibility of measurements using the developed setup.
• To establish a foundation for standardizing clinical and research ²³Na MRI protocols.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dedicated hardware and software setup for ²³Na MRI.
• Utilized a 3T MR scanner with a homebuilt radiofrequency (RF) volume coil.
• Employed a specialized sequence and a custom-designed phantom for accuracy evaluation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the reliability and reproducibility of ²³Na MRI measurements using the proposed setup.
• Verified the accuracy of the technique through phantom imaging.
• The setup successfully enabled ²³Na imaging on a clinical MR scanner.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hardware and software setup is reliable and reproducible for ²³Na MRI on clinical scanners.
• This work provides a foundation for standardizing ²³Na MRI protocols in clinical and research settings.
• ²³Na MRI holds significant potential for quantitative biochemical assessment.