Feasibility of cardiac MR examination during quantitative isometric muscular exercise.
OBJECTIVE
MR examination during quantitative muscular exercise is currently unavailable because the MR instrument has a long gantry and exercise machines are made from ferromagnetic materials such as iron. The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative, continuously monitored, voluntary isometric exercise device (QIED) for MR examination and to analyse the feasibility of performing MR examination using the new device.


RESULTS
The QIED, which consists of (1) a handgrip (rubber cuff), (2) an extension plastic tube, (3) a pressure transducer, and (4) a pressure digital display that includes the power supply. Components 1 and 2 are non-magnetic. Although components 3 and 4 are ferromagnetic, they can be set up outside the MR examination room using component 2 to prevent them from influencing the MR instrument and examination.We did not observe MR image noise or artifacts in the phantom study using the QIED. MR examination and low sensitivity 31P-MRS could be feasible during quantitative isometric exercise using the QIED.


CONCLUSIONS
Exercise MR examination using the QIED will provide useful information for the detailed evaluation of cardiac patients.
Chida
Koichi
K
Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku University School of Health Sciences, Sendai, Japan. chida@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
Nagasaka
Tatuo
T
Kohzuki
Masahiro
M
Saito
Haruo
H
Mori
Issei
I
Maruoka
Shin
S
Takahashi
Shoki
S
Yamada
Shogo
S
Zuguchi
Masayuki
M
D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male