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Simplified assessment for chemical exchanged saturation transfer (CEST) imaging: local offset frequency and CEST effect

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop a novel phantom for the evaluation of clinical CEST imaging settings, e.g., B0 and B1 field inhomogeneities, CEST contrast, and post-processing. We made a phantom composed of two slice sections: a grid section for local offset frequency evaluation and a sample section for CEST effect evaluation using different concentrations of an egg white albumin solution. On a 3 Tesla MR scanner, a phantom study was performed using CEST imaging; the mean B1 amplitudes were set at 1.2 and 1.9 µT, and CEST images with and without B0 corrections were acquired. Next, region of interest (ROI) analysis was performed for each slice. Then, CEST images with and without B0 corrections were compared at each B1 amplitude. The B0 corrected Z-spectrums at each local region in the grid section showed a shifting of the curve bottom to 0 ppm. Z-spectrum at B1 = 1.9 µT showed a broader curve shape than that at 1.2 µT. Moreover, MTRasym values at 3.5 ppm for each albumin sample at B1 = 1.9 µT were about two times higher than those at 1.2 µT. Our phantom enabled us to evaluate and optimize B0 inhomogeneity and the CEST effect at the B1 amplitude.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Stan Himes for the English grammar correction and revision.

Funding

This study was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI [grant number 17K09065].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain Attack Center Ota Memorial Hospital, 3-6-28 Okinogami, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, 7200825, Japan

    Daiki Chiba

  2. Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-Cyo, Toksuhima, 7708503, Japan

    Yuki Kanazawa, Masafumi Harada & Akihiro Haga

  3. Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5‑11‑80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 9200942, Japan

    Tosiaki Miyati & Hiroaki Hayashi

  4. Global MR Clinical Solutions and Research Collaborations, GE HealthCare, 4-7-127 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo, 1918503, Japan

    Mitsuharu Miyoshi

Authors
  1. Daiki Chiba
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  2. Yuki Kanazawa
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  3. Tosiaki Miyati
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  4. Masafumi Harada
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  5. Mitsuharu Miyoshi
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  7. Akihiro Haga
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Contributions

Conceptualization: YK; Methodology: YK; Formal analysis and investigation: DC, YK; Writing—original draft preparation: DC, YK; Writing—review and editing: YK, HH; Funding acquisition: YK, TM; Resources: MM; Supervision: MH, AH.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuki Kanazawa.

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Conflict of interest

MM is an employee of GE HealthCare; the other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of Tokushima University Hospital. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Written informed consent in this study was obtained from the subject. The subject signed informed consent regarding publishing their data and photographs.

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Chiba, D., Kanazawa, Y., Miyati, T. et al. Simplified assessment for chemical exchanged saturation transfer (CEST) imaging: local offset frequency and CEST effect. Radiol Phys Technol 17, 93–102 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-023-00752-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-023-00752-z

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