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Qingle Kong¹, Zhe Zhang^2,3, and Jing Jing^2,3,4
1MR Collaboration, Siemens Healthineers Ltd., Beijing, China, ²Tiantan Neuroimaging Center of Excellence, Beijing, China, ³Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China National Clinical Research Centre for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China, ⁴Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Neurology Department, Beijing, China

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Vessels, perforating arteries, ultra high resolution

The impairment of microvessels can lead to neurologic diseases such as stroke and vascular dementia. Perforating arteries imaging requires an extremely high resolution due to their small caliber size. In this study, for the first time, the feasibility of noninvasive visualization of perforators around Circle of Willis in vivo was demonstrated by using 7T compressed sensing TOF. The number of stems and branches of the perforators was then calculated. The origin and anatomical distribution of the perforating arteries are described. This work revealed that ultra-high-resolution CS TOF might be a promising method for detecting microvasculopathies of cerebral vascular diseases.

Martin Francis Phelan¹ and Metin Sitti^1,2,3,4
1Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany, ²Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, ³Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, ⁴College of Engineering and School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Atherosclerosis, Mechanical Thrombectomy

MR angiography provides high resolution visualization of blood vessels for analyzing arterial occlusions. However, these conditions require the use of a guidewire/catheter for treatment. Catheters integrated with microcoils for actuation under the high (3-7 Tesla), uniform magnetic field within magnetic resonance (MR) scanners have enabled mechanical removal of arterial occlusions. This work introduces an electromagnetic rotablation design, allowing direct tip torque control for both steering and drilling. Results demonstrate in vitro rotational thrombectomy with torque outputs up to 12 mN·m under MR guidance. These results indicate the high MRI external field can provide rotablation for difficult-to-reach areas of the vasculature.

Bram Callewaert^1,2, Willy Gsell², Marleen Lox¹, Elizabeth Jones^1,3, and Uwe Himmelreich^2
1Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ²Department of Imaging and Pathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ³Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

Keywords: Vessels, Blood vessels

We assessed whether Intravoxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) MRI measurements can detect differences in cerebral vascular density obtained by quantitative immunohistochemistry. In vivo IVIM measurements were correlated with invasive measurements of the microvascular density in a rat model of vascular comorbidities. Our results indicate that IVIM can be used to indirectly measure difference in the vascular density of different brain regions

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Shigehide Kuhara¹, Remina Kasai², Yuta Endo¹, Sanae Takahashi¹, Haruna Shibo¹, Kuninori Kobayashi¹, and Makoto Amanuma^1
1Department of Medical Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, Japan, ²Radiology Department, Tokyo Teishin Hospital, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Keywords: Vessels, Cardiovascular, Coronary MRA

We developed a new method using a convolutional neural network to obtain the stationary periods of the coronary arteries for whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography. A time-domain segmentation method using U-net was proposed. Two motion curves, which were obtained from the motion of the coronary arteries between cine frames, were vertically arranged, converted to motion images, and used to extract the stationary periods. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately determine the stationary period of the coronary arteries in humans, and it is expected to be a fully automatic determination method for the stationary period.

Ayano Oku^1,2, Junichi Hata^1,2,3, Naoya Hayashi^1,2, Hinako Oshiro^1,2, Kanako Muta¹, Yawara Haga^2,3, Taeko Ito², Ryousuke Nakajima^2,3, Noriyuki Kishi^2,3, and Hideyuki Okano^2,3
1Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan, ²RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan, ³Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Keywords: Diffusion/other diffusion imaging techniques, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, diffusion time

The function of water molecule exchange on the plasma membrane by aquaporins was evaluated using HEK293T cultured cells. Time-dependent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in which diffusion time (DT) was varied in 14 steps from 13 to 784 ms, was used to observe differences in water molecules and the permeability of the cell membrane with and without aquaporin inhibition. The diffusion coefficient increased with increasing DT in normal cells, but not in aquaporin 4-inhibited cells. These results suggest that time-dependent diffusion MRI may capture the function of water molecule exchange at the plasma membrane.

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Jemima H Pilgrim-Morris¹, Laurie J Smith¹, Joshua R Astley^1,2, Laura C Saunders¹, Guilhem J Collier¹, Alberto M Biancardi¹, Bilal A Tahir^1,2,3, Helen Marshall¹, Latife Hardaker⁴, Titti Fihn-Wikander⁵, Rod Hughes⁶, Roger Thompson¹, Neil J Stewart¹, and Jim M Wild^1,3
1POLARIS, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, ²Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, ³Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom, ⁴Priory Medical Group, York, United Kingdom, ⁵Evidence Delivery, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden, ⁶Clinical Development, Research and Early Development, Respiratory & Immunology, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Keywords: Hyperpolarized MR (Gas), Lung, Modelling

Hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe ventilation and dissolved-phase MRI metrics were used to predict the carbon monoxide transfer factor (TL_CO) in the lungs of patients with asthma and/or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) using two linear regression models: (1) an existing analytical model based on physiology and (2) a machine learning model, which also included patient age and sex in the prediction. The machine learning model was further extended to create TL_CO maps, providing a regional visualization of this gold standard measure of gas transfer.

Weiwei Wang¹, Yang Wu¹, Peng Sun², Haixia Li², Yanyan Jiang¹, and xiaojing Ma^1
1MRI, Wuhan asia general hospital, Wuhan,HUBEI, China, ²Philips Healthcare,Beijing, Beijing, China

Keywords: Vessels, Cardiovascular, compressed sensing

Whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a noninvasive, contrast-free, and radiation-free technique for evaluating the origin, morphology, and stenosis of coronary arteries. Nonetheless, a patient's anxious mood results in a longer scan time or lower imaging quality. Previous research has shown that listening to music can alleviate anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). In this study, we found no statistical difference in scanning time and imaging quality with CS acceleration factors (AFs) of 2,4,6 in the music and no-music groups. Music may not be necessary during coronary MRA scanning with the CS technique.