Program Information
A Novel Retrospective 3D K-Space Sorting 4D-MRI Technique Using a Radial K-Space Acquisition MRI Sequence
Y Liu*, E Subashi , F Yin , J Cai , Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Presentations
TH-EF-BRA-6 (Thursday, August 4, 2016) 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM Room: Ballroom A
Purpose:
Current retrospective 4D-MRI provides superior tumor-to-tissue contrast and accurate respiratory motion information for radiotherapy motion management. The developed 4D-MRI techniques based on 2D-MRI image sorting require a high frame-rate of the MR sequences. However, several MRI sequences provide excellent image quality but have low frame-rate. This study aims at developing a novel retrospective 3D k-space sorting 4D-MRI technique using radial k-space acquisition MRI sequences to improve 4D-MRI image quality and temporal-resolution for imaging irregular organ/tumor respiratory motion.
Methods:
The method is based on a RF-spoiled, steady-state, gradient-recalled sequence with minimal echo time. A 3D radial k-space data acquisition trajectory was used for sampling the datasets. Each radial spoke readout data line starts from the 3D center of Field-of-View. Respiratory signal can be extracted from the k-space center data point of each spoke. The spoke data was sorted based on its self-synchronized respiratory signal using phase sorting. Subsequently, 3D reconstruction was conducted to generate the time-resolved 4D-MRI images.
As a feasibility study, this technique was implemented on a digital human phantom XCAT. The respiratory motion was controlled by an irregular motion profile. To validate using k-space center data as a respiratory surrogate, we compared it with the XCAT input controlling breathing profile. Tumor motion trajectories measured on reconstructed 4D-MRI were compared to the average input trajectory. The mean absolute amplitude difference (D) was calculated.
Results:
The signal extracted from k-space center data matches well with the input controlling respiratory profile of XCAT. The relative amplitude error was 8.6% and the relative phase error was 3.5%. XCAT 4D-MRI demonstrated a clear motion pattern with little serrated artifacts. D of tumor trajectories was 0.21mm, 0.23mm and 0.23mm in SI, AP and ML directions, respectively.
Conclusion:
A novel retrospective 3D k-space sorting 4D-MRI technique has been developed and evaluated on human digital phantom.
Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: NIH (1R21CA165384-01A1)
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