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Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) Spectroscopic Imaging of Tissues with Short Transverse Relaxation Time (T2)

Detailed Technology Description

Cortical bone in the mature skeleton has a short T2* relaxation time and produces no detectable signal with conventional magnetic resonance (MR) pulse sequences. Two-dimensional ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequence employs half radio-frequency (RF) pulse excitation and radial ramp sampling, which effectively reduce TE down to single digit (8 µs) and therefore is capable of detecting signals from cortical bone. Here we proposed a UTE spectroscopic imaging (UTESI) technique based on an interleaved variable TE acquisition preceded by long T2* signal suppression using a 900 pulse followed by gradient dephasing or an inversion pulse and nulling. The projections were divided into multiple groups with each group a progressively increasing TE and interleaved projection angles. The undersampled projections within each group sparsely cover the k-space. A view sharing and sliding window reconstruction algorithm was implemented to reconstruct images at different TEs, followed by Fourier transformation in the time domain to generate spectroscopic images. T2* was quantified through either exponential fitting of the images at different TEs or line fitting of the magnitude spectrum. Relative water content and resonance frequency shift due to bulk susceptibility were also derived from the spectroscopic images. The feasibility of this technique was demonstrated through rubber band study and in vivo human volunteer studies on a clinical 3T MR scanner. This work should find ready adoption in commercial MR systems. Worldwide rights are available. Patent Pending.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US7602184B2
Application Number: US2008112957A
Inventor: Du, Jiang
Priority Date: 30 Apr 2007
Priority Number: US7602184B2
Application Date: 30 Apr 2008
Publication Date: 13 Oct 2009
IPC Current: G01V000300
US Class: 324309 | 324307
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging with short echo times
Usefulness: Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging with short echo times
Summary: Method for MRI for imaging application in medical, biological and other fields.
Novelty: MRI method for imaging applications, involves generating set of images of sample, where image is associated with given echo time based on low and high spatial frequency components of two different group of radial projections respectively

Industry

Biomedical

Sub Group

Medical Imaging

Application No.

7602184

Others

Additional Technologies by these Inventors

MRI Imaging Based on Quantitative Ultrashort Echo Time Imaging of Short T2 Tissues

Tech ID/UC Case

19937/2007-131-0

Related Cases

2007-131-0

Country/Region

USA

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