Improved regional analysis of oxygen-enhanced lung MR imaging using image registration

Abstract

Oxygen enhanced MR imaging of the lung is a promising technique for monitoring a range of pulmonary diseases but regional analysis is hampered by lung motion and volume changes due to breathing. We have developed an image registration method to improve the quantitative regional analysis of both static and dynamic oxygen-enhanced pulmonary MRI. Images were acquired using a HASTE sequence at 1.5T for five normal volunteers alternately breathing air and 100% oxygen. Static images were used to calculate regional changes in relaxation rate between breathing air and oxygen which is directly related to the increase in the dissolved oxygen concentration. Dynamic scans were used to calculate regional maps of oxygen wash-in and wash-out time constants. The method provided significant improvements in the both the static and the dynamic analysis. This may provide improved information in the regional assessment of chronic obstructive lung diseases. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004.