Cardiorespiratory-resolved magnetic resonance imaging: measuring respiratory modulation of cardiac function.
A technique for cardiac- and respiratory-resolved MRI is described. A retrospectively gated-segmented acquisition scheme similar to that used in conventional cine cardiac imaging was used to collect image data that spanned both the cardiac and respiratory cycles. Raw k-space data were regridded in a cardiorespiratory phase space to allow image reconstruction at target cardiac and respiratory phases. The approach can be applied with various k-space trajectories and pulse sequences, and was implemented in this study with both a Cartesian steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence and a radial phase-contrast (PC) pulse sequence. Free-breathing short-axis SSFP images of the heart were reconstructed at multiple respiratory and cardiac phases to illustrate separation of cardiac and respiratory motion without artifacts. A respiratory-resolved radial PC experiment was used to quantify the volumetric flow rates in the inferior vena cava (IVC), pulmonary artery (PA), and aorta (Ao) in five free-breathing normal volunteers and a positive-pressure ventilated dog. Total flow (ml/min) in each vessel was quantified as a function of respiratory phase (peak/minimum output = 1.85 +/- 0.29 (IVC), 1.36 +/- 0.15 (PA), 1.24 +/- 0.09 (Ao)). Peak flow occurred during inspiration for the IVC and PA, and during expiration for the Ao, and there was a complete pattern reversal for the positive-pressure ventilated dog.
Thompson
Richard B
RB
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. richard.thompson@ualberta.ca
McVeigh
Elliot R
ER
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016477:Artifacts; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*