View in EDS

Feasibility of strong diffusion encoding and fast readout using a plug‐and‐play head gradient insert at 7 T.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Feasibility of strong diffusion encoding and fast readout using a plug‐and‐play head gradient insert at 7 T.
Authors: Arends, G. C.1 (AUTHOR) g.c.arends-3@umcutrecht.nl, Versteeg, E.1 (AUTHOR), De Luca, A.1 (AUTHOR), Marc, F.1 (AUTHOR), Roos, T. H. M.1 (AUTHOR), Klomp, D. W. J.1 (AUTHOR), Froeling, M.1 (AUTHOR), Siero, J. C. W.1,2 (AUTHOR), Tax, C. M. W.1,3 (AUTHOR)
Source: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Nov2025, Vol. 94 Issue 5, p2304-2316. 13p.
Subjects: Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, Diffusion gradients, Proof of concept, Signal-to-noise ratio, Magnetic resonance imaging
Abstract: Purpose: Diffusion weighting is achieved by the application of external field gradients typically for tens of milliseconds, during which the signal also substantially decays due to inherent T2 relaxation. Employing strong gradients will shorten the echo time (TE) and increase the signal‐to‐noise ratio. This study demonstrates a proof‐of‐principle of using an ultrastrong head gradient insert for diffusion MRI at 7 T. Methods: A lightweight (45 kg) single‐axis gradient coil operating in the z‐direction was interfaced with a 7 T system and operated as an additional fourth‐gradient axis to the whole‐body gradient setup. Several diffusion MRI experiments were conducted to compare acquisitions taken with a gradient insert operating at full capacity (200 mT/m and 1300 T/m/s) to those using conventional gradient strengths (40–80 mT/m and 200 T/m/s). Results: A shorter TE of (28.8, 32.4, 38.5, 48.7) ms was achieved using the insert gradient at full capability for readout and diffusion encoding, compared to (49.7, 54.5, 65.9, 85.5) ms (80 mT/m) or (59.9, 68.8, 88.3, 120.9) ms (40 mT/m) for b = (0, 500, 1000, 3000, 10 000) s/mm2 using conventional gradient strength. A SNR increase for all b‐value acquisitions was observed. When using strong gradients for readout, TE was shortened by 20 ms, and a lower degree of geometrical distortions was observed. Conclusion: The results illustrate a successful proof‐of‐concept for performing diffusion MRI using a plug‐and‐play head gradient insert at 7 T. Use of low‐cost gradient inserts could make advanced diffusion MRI experiments more widely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Purpose: Diffusion weighting is achieved by the application of external field gradients typically for tens of milliseconds, during which the signal also substantially decays due to inherent T2 relaxation. Employing strong gradients will shorten the echo time (TE) and increase the signal‐to‐noise ratio. This study demonstrates a proof‐of‐principle of using an ultrastrong head gradient insert for diffusion MRI at 7 T. Methods: A lightweight (45 kg) single‐axis gradient coil operating in the z‐direction was interfaced with a 7 T system and operated as an additional fourth‐gradient axis to the whole‐body gradient setup. Several diffusion MRI experiments were conducted to compare acquisitions taken with a gradient insert operating at full capacity (200 mT/m and 1300 T/m/s) to those using conventional gradient strengths (40–80 mT/m and 200 T/m/s). Results: A shorter TE of (28.8, 32.4, 38.5, 48.7) ms was achieved using the insert gradient at full capability for readout and diffusion encoding, compared to (49.7, 54.5, 65.9, 85.5) ms (80 mT/m) or (59.9, 68.8, 88.3, 120.9) ms (40 mT/m) for b = (0, 500, 1000, 3000, 10 000) s/mm2 using conventional gradient strength. A SNR increase for all b‐value acquisitions was observed. When using strong gradients for readout, TE was shortened by 20 ms, and a lower degree of geometrical distortions was observed. Conclusion: The results illustrate a successful proof‐of‐concept for performing diffusion MRI using a plug‐and‐play head gradient insert at 7 T. Use of low‐cost gradient inserts could make advanced diffusion MRI experiments more widely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:07403194
DOI:10.1002/mrm.30613