0000000000162475
AUTHOR
Andreas E. Morbach
showing 5 related works from this author
Controlling diffusion of 3He by buffer gases: a structural contrast agent in lung MRI.
2006
Purpose: To study the influence of admixing inert buffer gases to laser-polarized 3 He in terms of resulting diffusion coefficients and the consequences for image contrast and resolution. Materials and Methods: The diffusion coefficient of 3 He was altered by admixing buffer gases of various molecular weights ( 4 He, N2, and SF6). The influence of the pulse sequence and the diffusion coefficient on the appearance of MRI of (laserpolarized) gases was analyzed by comparison of basic theoretical concepts with demonstrative experiments. Results: Excellent agreement between theoretical description and observed signal in simple gradient echoes was observed. A maximum signal gain can be predicted …
Functional Evaluation of Emphysema Using Diffusion-Weighted 3Helium-Magnetic Resonance Imaging, High-Resolution Computed Tomography, and Lung Functio…
2004
Purpose: To assess the emphysematous enlargement of distal air-spaces and concomitant large and small airway disease using diffusion-weighted 3 Helium-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and lung function tests (LFT). Methods: Seven patients were examined after single lung transplantation (LTx) and 1 before double LTx for various forms of emphysema. Five patients after double LTx served as controls. Patients were assessed by 3 Helium-MRI (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]), HRCT (mean lung density [MLD], emphysema index [El]), and LFT. Results: Transplanted lungs: mean ADC = 0.17 cm 2 /s, MLD = -848 H, El = 22%. Emphysematous lungs: mean ADC = 0.…
Assessment of lung microstructure with magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized Helium-3
2005
Magnetic resonance imaging of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of hyperpolarized Helium-3 is a new technique for probing pulmonary microstructure in vivo. The aim of this study was the assessment of potential sources of systematic errors of the ADC measurement. The influence of macroscopic motion was determined by measurements at two different delays after initiating the breath-hold, and before and after cardiac arrest. An intercentre comparison was performed in two age- and lung function-matched groups of lung-healthy volunteers at two research sites. Moreover, measurements of diffusion anisotropy were performed. We found no dependency of the ADC as a function of the delay after st…
Diffusion-weighted MRI of the lung with hyperpolarized helium-3: A study of reproducibility
2005
Purpose To determine the reproducibility of several parameters of the ADC measurement by calculating the scan-to-scan intrasubject variability. Materials and Methods Measurements were performed using a gradient-echo sequence with a bipolar gradient for diffusion weighting (b = 3.89 sec/cm2). Five patients with pulmonary emphysema, and six healthy-lung volunteers were included in the study. Images were acquired after inspiration of 3He during a single inspiratory breath-hold. To assess the reproducibility, the measurement was performed twice (time between measurements = 20 minutes) without repositioning the subjects. Analysis was performed on the basis of region-of-interest (ROI) analysis an…
Mikrostruktur der Lunge: Untersuchung mittels Diffusionsmessung von hochpolarisiertem 3Helium
2006
Imaging methods to study the lung are traditionally based on x-ray or on radioactive contrast agents. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has only limited applications for lung imaging because of the low tissue density of protons concentration of hydrogen atoms, which are usually the basis for the imaging. The introduction of hyperpolarized noble gases as a contrast agent in MRI has opened new possibilities for lung diagnosis. The present paper describes this new technique. Diffusion-weighted MRI for assessment of the lung microstructure is presented here as an example of the new possibilities of functional imaging. Studies to determine the sensitivity of the diffusion measurement…