A versatile flow phantom for intravoxel incoherent motion MRI.

TitleA versatile flow phantom for intravoxel incoherent motion MRI.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsCho GY, Kim S, Jensen JH, Storey P, Sodickson DK, Sigmund EE
JournalMagn Reson Med
Volume67
Issue6
Pagination1710-20
Date Published2012 Jun
ISSN1522-2594
KeywordsEquipment Design, Equipment Failure Analysis, Magnetic Resonance Angiography, Motion, Reproducibility of Results, Rheology, Sensitivity and Specificity
Abstract

Although there have been many advancements in cancer research, much is still unknown about the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment. Diffusion-weighted MRI has proven to be a viable and versatile microstructural probe. Diffusion-weighted sequences specifically sensitive to intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) have seen a recent resurgence of interest as they promise to provide a valuable window on the vascular microenvironment. To understand, test, and optimize IVIM-sensitive approaches, a complex flow phantom was constructed to mimic certain characteristics of the tumor microenvironment such as tortuous microvasculature, heterogeneous vascular permeability, and interstitial fluid pressure buildup. Results using this phantom on a clinical scanner platform confirmed IVIM sensitivity to microscopic flow effects. Biexponential fitting of signal decay curves enabled quantitative extraction of perfusion fraction, IVIM-related pseudodiffusivity, and tissue diffusivity. Parametric maps were also generated, illustrating the potential utility of IVIM-sensitive imaging in clinical settings. The flow phantom proved to be an effective test-bed for validating and optimizing the IVIM-MRI technique to provide surrogate markers for microvascular properties.

DOI10.1002/mrm.23193
Alternate JournalMagn Reson Med
PubMed ID22114007
Related Institute: 
MRI Research Institute (MRIRI)

Weill Cornell Medicine
Department of Radiology
525 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065