The Department of Electrical Engineering, Magnetic Resonance and Spectrscopy Research Laboratory, has benefited from the fruitful interaction with the Lucas Center. Methods A major project in the MRSRL is the development of new noninvasive methods for blood vessel imaging of the neck, abdomen, and legs. Because vessel disease in these regions is correlated with highly prevalent ailments such as stroke, hypertension, and thrombosis, a noninvasive imaging procedure would be of enormous utility. Our purpose is to develop faster and more accurate methods for MR vessel imaging. Compared to invasive x-ray methods of blood vessel imaging which involve radiation, the injection of contrast material, and the presence of a skilled physician, MR offers a safe, painless method that is relatively easy to perform. Although MR vessel imaging methods have developed significantly over the past few years, their clinical impact remains far short of their potential. We have been pursuing improved MR methods that address some of the primary shortcomings plaguing existing MR methods. These problems include relatively long scan times, limited spatial resolution, and artifactual signal loss in regions of narrowing. We are investigating several new methods for generating higher vessel contrast and 3D imaging. Discussion Overall, compared to existing methods, our methods offer performance advantages in speed, accuracy, and vessel contrast, but their implementation is more difficult. A major challenge has been to design the MR pulse sequence and image reconstruction software carefully. Many methods have recently undergone refinement using normal volunteers and are moving on to initial evaluation at the Lucas Center on selected patients with known disease. Besides image quality issues (e.g spatial resolution, vessel contrast), an important area of evaluation is the ease-of-use of the scan protocol. The continual feedback of radiologists is essential to this project.
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