Quantitative contrast-enhanced MRI with superparamagnetic nanoparticles using ultrashort time-to-echo pulse sequences.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Conventional MRI using contrast agents is semiquantitative because it is inherently sensitive to extravoxular susceptibility artifacts, field inhomogeneity, partial voluming, perivascular effects, and motion/flow artifacts. Herein we demonstrate a quantitative contrast-enhanced MRI technique using ultrashort time-to-echo pulse sequences for measuring clinically relevant concentrations of ferumoxytol, a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle contrast agent with high sensitivity and precision in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

The method achieves robust, reproducible results by using rapid signal acquisition at ultrashort time-to-echo (UTE) to produce positive contrast images with pure T1 weighting and little T2* decay. The spoiled gradient echo equation is used to trans

SUBMITTER: Gharagouzloo CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6691359 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature