title: Probe-Specific Procedure to Estimate Sensitivity and Detection Limits for 19F Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: Due to low fluorine background signal in vivo, 19F is a good marker to study the fate of exogenous molecules by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using equilibrium nuclear spin polarization schemes. Since 19F MRI applications require high sensitivity, it can be important to assess experimental feasibility during the design stage already by estimating the minimum detectable fluorine concentration. Here we propose a simple method for the calibration of MRI hardware, providing sensitivity estimates for a given scanner and coil configuration. An experimental "calibration factor" to account for variations in coil configuration and hardware set-up is specified. Once it has been determined in a calibration experiment, the sensitivity of an experiment or, alternatively, the minimum number of required spins or the minimum marker concentration can be estimated without the need for a pilot experiment. The definition of this calibration factor is derived based on standard equations for the sensitivity in magnetic resonance, yet the method is not restricted by the limited validity of these equations, since additional instrument-dependent factors are implicitly included during calibration. The method is demonstrated using MR spectroscopy and imaging experiments with different 19F samples, both paramagnetically and susceptibility broadened, to approximate a range of realistic environments.
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Institute of Energy and Climate Research, Fundamental Electrochemistry (IEK-9), Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich, Germany.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Granwehr
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Clémentine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lesbats
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Krupa
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Six
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Galina E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Pavlovskaya
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Neil R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Dorothee P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meersmann
authors.affiliation: Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Henryk M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Faas
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000592:standards; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D005682:Gadolinium