Neuroscience researchers and neurosurgeons alike are beginning to use standard MRI scanners for High-Definition Fiber Tracking (HDFT) to trace white-matter pathways in the living brain. Compared to earlier methods, the resolution, reproducibility, and accuracy of HDFT are unmatched, but one issue preventing widespread adoption is the lengthy data acquisition process. Scan time is currently about 45 minutes, which is not well-suited for routine use due to high susceptibility to motion artifacts and poor patient tolerance. Dr. Fernando Boada and colleagues have invented a new method to speed up MRI data acquisition by taking advantage of angular oversampling. This new method shaves scan time down to 15 minutes without sacrificing quality.
Description
In contrast to typical diffusion-weighted MRI data acquisition, this method samples two points in q-space for each radio frequency (RF) pulse rather than just one. By taking advantage of radial geometry required for computing fiber direction, samples can be collected twice along the trajectory of each RF pulse. This method can also be combined with compressed q-space sampling and multi-band reception to optimize data acquisition rate by an additional 40%. Experimental scans in situ indicate no loss of resolution compared to traditional sampling methods.
Applications
· Pre-surgical planning (e.g., tumor resection) that depends on mapping cortical connections
· Research into connection diseases such as autism or prosopagnosia
Advantages
· Reduces HDFT scan time from 45 minutes to 15 minutes
· No loss in resolution compared to traditional sampling methods
· Can be implemented with existing 3T MRI scanners
Invention Readiness
Prototype tested on brain tissue in situ
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9488710B2
