Purpose A calibrationless parallel imaging reconstruction method, termed simultaneous auto-calibrating and k-space estimation (SAKE), is presented. It is a data-driven, coil-by-coil reconstruction method that does not require a separate calibration step for estimating coil sensitivity information. Methods In SAKE, an under-sampled multi-channel dataset is structured into a single data matrix. Then the reconstruction is formulated as a structured low-rank matrix completion problem. An iterative solution that implements a projection-onto-sets algorithm with singular value thresholding is described. Results Reconstruction results are demonstrated for retrospectively and prospectively under-sampled, multi-channel Cartesian data having no calibration signals. Additionally, non-Cartesian data reconstruction is presented. Finally, improved image quality is demonstrated by combining SAKE with wavelet-based compressed sensing. Conclusion As estimation of coil sensitivity information is not needed, the proposed method could potentially benefit MR applications where acquiring accurate calibration data is limiting or not possible at all.

Magnetic resonance imaging is an inherently signal-to-noise-starved technique that limits the spatial resolution, diagnostic image quality and results in typically long acquisition times that are prone to motion artefacts. This limitation is exacerbated when receive coils have poor fit due to lack of flexibility or need for padding for patient comfort. Here, we report a new approach that uses printing for fabricating receive coils. Our approach enables highly flexible, extremely lightweight conforming devices. We show that these devices exhibit similar to higher signal-to-noise ratio than conventional ones, in clinical scenarios when coils could be displaced more than 18 mm away from the body. In addition, we provide detailed material properties and components performance analysis. Prototype arrays are incorporated within infant blankets for in vivo studies. This work presents the first fully functional, printed coils for 1.5- and 3-T clinical scanners.

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The development of hyperpolarized technology utilizing dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has enabled the rapid measurement of 13C metabolism in vivo with very high SNR. However, with traditional DNP equipment, consecutive injections of a hyperpolarized compound in an animal have been subject to a practical minimum time between injections governed by the polarization build-up time, which is on the order of an hour for [1-13C]pyruvate. This has precluded the monitoring of metabolic changes occurring on a faster time scale. In this study, we demonstrated the ability to acquire in vivo dynamic magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and 3D magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data in normal rats with a 5 minute interval between injections of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate using a prototype, sub-Kelvin dynamic nuclear polarizer with the capability to simultaneously polarize up to 4 samples and dissolve them in rapid succession. There were minimal perturbations in the hyperpolarized spectra as a result of the multiple injections, suggesting that such an approach would not confound the investigation of metabolism occurring on this time scale. As an initial demonstration of the application of this technology and approach for monitoring rapid changes in metabolism as a result of a physiological intervention, we investigated the pharmacodynamics of the anti-cancer agent dichloroacetate (DCA), collecting hyperpolarized data before administration of DCA, 1 minute after administration, and 6 minutes after administration. Dramatic increases in 13C-bicarbonate were detected just 1 minute (as well as 6 minutes) after DCA administration.

Hyperpolarized technology utilizing dynamic nuclear polarization has enabled rapid and high sensitivity measurements of 13C metabolism in vivo. The most commonly used in vivo agent for hyperpolarized 13C metabolic imaging thus far has been [1-13C]pyruvate. In preclinical studies, not only is its uptake detected, but also, its intracellular enzymatic conversion to metabolic products including [1-13C]lactate and [1-13C]alanine. However, the ratio of 13C-lactate/13C-pyruvate measured in this data does not accurately reflect cellular values since much of the [1-13C]pyruvate is extracellular depending on timing, vascular properties, and extracellular space and monocarboxylate transporter activity. In order to measure the relative levels of intracellular pyruvate and lactate, in this project we hyperpolarized [1-13C]alanine and monitored the in vivo conversion to [1-13C]pyruvate and then the subsequent conversion to [1-13C]lactate. The intracellular lactate/pyruvate ratio of normal rat tissue measured with hyperpolarized [1-13C]alanine was 4.89 ± 0.61 (mean ± standard error) as opposed to a ratio of 0.41 ± 0.03 when hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate was injected.

Purpose To implement and evaluate combined parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and partial Fourier acquisition and reconstruction for rapid hyperpolarized carbon-13 (13C) spectroscopic imaging. Short acquisition times mitigate hyperpolarized signal losses that occur due to T1 decay, metabolism, and radiofrequency (RF) saturation. Human applications additionally require rapid imaging to permit breath-holding and to minimize the effects of physiologic motion. Materials and Methods Numerical simulations were employed to validate and characterize the reconstruction. In vivo MR spectroscopic images were obtained from a rat following injection of hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate using an 8-channel array of carbon-tuned receive elements. Results For small spectroscopic matrix sizes, combined parallel imaging and partial Fourier undersampling resulted primarily in decreased spatial resolution, with relatively less visible spatial aliasing. Parallel reconstruction qualitatively restored lost image detail, although some pixel spectra had persistent numerical error. With this technique, a 30 × 10 × 16 matrix of 4800 3D MR spectroscopy imaging voxels from a whole rat with isotropic 8 mm3 resolution was acquired within 11 seconds. Conclusion Parallel MRI and partial Fourier acquisitions can provide the shorter imaging times and wider spatial coverage that will be necessary as hyperpolarized 13C techniques move toward human clinical applications.

The goal of this project was to develop and apply techniques for T2 mapping and 3D high resolution (1.5 mm isotropic; 0.003 cm3) 13C imaging of hyperpolarized (HP) probes [1-13C]lactate, [1-13C]pyruvate, [2-13C]pyruvate, and [13C,15N2]urea in vivo. A specialized 2D bSSFP sequence was implemented on a clinical 3T scanner and used to obtain the first high resolution T2 maps of these different hyperpolarized compounds in both rats and tumor-bearing mice. These maps were first used to optimize timings for highest SNR for single time-point 3D bSSFP acquisitions with a 1.5 mm isotropic spatial resolution of normal rats. This 3D acquisition approach was extended to serial dynamic imaging with 2-fold compressed sensing acceleration without changing spatial resolution. The T2 mapping experiments yielded measurements of T2 values of greater than 1 s for all compounds within rat kidneys/vasculature and TRAMP tumors, except for [2-13C]pyruvate which was ~730 ms and ~320 ms, respectively. The high resolution 3D imaging enabled visualization the biodistribution of [1-13C]lactate, [1-13C]pyruvate, and [2-13C]pyruvate within different kidney compartments as well as in the vasculature. While the mouse anatomy is smaller, the resolution was also sufficient to image the distribution of all compounds within kidney, vasculature, and tumor. The development of the specialized 3D sequence with compressed sensing provided improved structural and functional assessments at a high (0.003 cm3) spatial and 2 s temporal resolution in vivo utilizing HP 13C substrates by exploiting their long T2 values. This 1.5 mm isotropic resolution is comparable to 1H imaging and application of this approach could be extended to future studies of uptake, metabolism, and perfusion in cancer and other disease models and may ultimately be of value for clinical imaging.

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