Single-scan acquisition of registered hyperpolarized 3He ventilation and ADC images using a hybrid 2D gradient-echo sequence

Abstract

The pulse sequences for hyperpolarized 3He lung MRI that have made the most clinical impact to date are 1) those that supply regional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements, which provide insight into early emphysematous destruction of the alveoli in the lungs, and 2) high-resolution ventilation images that provide regional indicators of airway obstruction in obstructive airway disease, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this work a hybrid 2D ADC-ventilation sequence was used with low flip angles to acquire both sets of data in the same breath-hold. The performance of the sequence was investigated in vivo in a healthy subject and a subject with mild emphysema, and compared with conventional 2D gradient-echo (GRE) 3He ventilation and ADC imaging sequences. Acquisition of the ADC and ventilation images in one breath-hold provides ventilation images with equal or better SNR (∼20) and the same spatial resolution (3.75 mm x 3.3 mm in plane) with simultaneous accurate, high-resolution ADC images. The hybrid sequence offers a means of conserving gas by using two-thirds of the 3He gas needed for separate ADC and ventilation exams, and saves the subject from having to perform an extra breath-hold. The data are inherently spatially and temporally registered, allowing quantitative cross-correlation between high-spatial-resolution ADC and ventilation data. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.