Methods

We have 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla imaging capabilites housed at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS). At the Center for Translational Vascular and Physiological Imaging we have imaging protocols for 3T brain, 7T brain, 3T upper body, and 3T lower body.

coil

3 Tesla Brain

 

3 Tesla Brain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T1-3tBrain

T1-weighted

Purpose: co-registration, visualization of tissue and atrophy

Spatial Resolution:  1.0 x 0.7 x 1.0 mm3

TR: 8.03 ms, TE:  3.73 ms

Readout Type: 3D TFE,

Factor = 192

Duration: 4 min 32s

t2 brain

T2-weighted

Purpose: visualization of tissue, edema, and white matter disease

Spatial Resolution: 0.6 x 0.6 x 5.0 mm3

TR: 3000 ms, TE: 80 ms

Readout Type: Multislice TSE, Factor: 15

DRIVE sequence

Duration: 1 min 48s

Coronal t2 flair

T2-weighted FLAIR (Coronal)

Field-of-view: 161 x 199 x 200 mm

Slices: 40

Readout: 2D turbo inversion recovery

TR: 11000 TE: 20 ms

Spatial resolution: 0.46 x 0.57 x 4 mm

Duration: 1 min 21 sec

T2-weighted FLAIR (Axial)

T2-weighted FLAIR (Axial)

Field-of-view = 184 x 230 x 134 mm

Slices = 27

Readout: 2D turbo inversion recovery

TR / TE = 11000 / 120 ms

Spatial resolution = 0.46 x 0.57 x 4 mm

Duration = 1 min 21 sec

Susceptibility Weighted

Susceptibility Weighted T2*

Field-of-View: 183 x 230 x 120 mm

Slices:120

Readout: 3D gradient echo

TR / TE: 1000 / 80 ms

Spatial resolution: 0.5 x 0.5 x 1 mm

Duration : 2 min 30 sec

Diffusion Weighted

Diffusion weighted

Field-of-View: 230 x 230 x 129 mm

Slices: 26

Readout: 2D spin echo EPI (b=0 and 1000 s/mm2)

TR: 2923.9  TE: 83.2 ms

Spatial Resolution: 1.8 x 1.8 x 4 mm

Duration: 35.1 sec         

Head Angiography

Head MR Angiography

Field-of-View: 200 x 200 x 84 mm

Slices: 120

Readout: 3D gradient echo

TR: 23  TE: 3.45 ms

Spatial resolution: 0.39 x 0.39 x 1.4 mm

Duration: 4 min 7 sec

 

Neck Angiography

Neck MR Angiography

Field-of-View: 200 x 200 x 363 mm (3 stacks)

Slices: 180

Readout: 2D gradient echo

TR: 15.7  TE:3.2 ms

Spatial resolution: 0.39 x 0.39 x 3 mm

Duration: 10 min 43 sec

ASL

ASL

Purpose: regional cerebral blood flow quantitation

Spatial Resolution: 3.3 x 3.5 x 7.5 mm3

TR: 4200 ms, TE: 12.5 ms

Readout Type: Multislice FE EPI, Factor: 35

pCASL Labeling, Post-Labeling Delay: 1800 ms,

Labeling Duration: 1650 ms, Dynamics: 30

Duration: 4 min 20s

Diffusion Tensor

Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Field-of-view: 230 x 230 x 130 mm

Slices: 65

Readout: 2D spin echo EPI (32 directions; b=1000 s/mm2)

TR: 3000 TE: 60 ms

Spatial Resolution: 2 x 2 x 2 mm

Duration: 6 min

 

 

  

Cervical Lymph Node

Cervical Lymph Nodes

Field-of-View: 350 x 250 x 446 mm

Slices: 50

Readout: 2D diffusion weighted inversion recovery

TR: 9341 TE: 68.7 ms

Spatial Resolution: 0.78 x 0.56 x 5 mm

Duration: 2 min 58 sec

 

 

   

3 Tesla Upper Body

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b1

B1 efficiency map

Purpose: transmit radiofrequency optimization

Spatial Resolution: 0.7 x 0.7 x 7 mm3

Readout: 3D gradient echo

Dual TR: 30, 130 ms, TE: 4.6 ms

Field-of-View: 180 x 180 x 105 mm3

Flip Angle: 60 degrees

Duration: 1 min 28s

dwibs

DWIBS

Purpose: visualization of lymph nodes

Spatial Resolution: 1.6 x 1.6 x 5.5 mm3

Readout: multi-slice EPI, factor = 71

TR: 7755 ms, TE: 53 ms

Flip Angle: 90 degrees

b-value: 800 s/mm2

Duration: 2 min 42s

 

lymphangio

Noninvasive Lymphangiography

Purpose: visualization of lymphatic vessels

Spatial Resolution: 1.39 x 1.39 x 3 mm3

Readout: 3D turbo spin echo, Factor: 90

TR: 3000 ms, TE: 600 ms

Flip Angle: 90 degrees

Two 60 mm thick presaturation slabs placed 20 mm inferior and superior to imaging volume

SPIR Fat Suppression Averages: 2

Duration: 10 min 51s

mdixon

Multi-point Dixon

Purpose: visualization of fat and water

Spatial Resolution: .9 x 0.7 x 2.5 mm3

Readout:  3D gradient echo

TR: 3.5 ms, TE1: 1.15 ms, TE2: 2.3 ms

Field-of-view:  520 x 424 x 192 mm3

Flip angle: 10 degrees

Duration: 18s 

 

 

 

  

t2

T2-weighted fat suppressed

Purpose: visualization of tissue, lymph node anatomy, and edema

Spatial Resolution: 0.3 x 0.3 x 5 mm3

Readout:  multi-slice turbo spin echo, Factor: 12

TR: 3500 ms, TE: 60 ms

field-of-view:180 x 180 x 50 mm3

Duration: 4 min 54s

 

 

 

 

   

t1

T1 relaxation map

Purpose: quantitative T1 determination

Spatial Resolution: 1.8 x 1.5 x 5.5 mm3

Readout: 3D gradient echo

TR: 100 ms, TE: 4.6 ms

Field-of-View: 520 x 424 x 49 mm3

Multi-Flip Angle: 20, 40, 60 degrees

Duration: 3 min 12s

  

t2

T2 relaxation map

Purpose: quantitative T2 determination

Spatial Resolution: 1.8 x 1.5 x 5.5 mm3

Readout: multi-slice turbo spin echo (factor 32)

TR: 4000 ms

Multi-TE: 9 to 189 ms; increments of 12 ms

Field-of-View: 520 x 424 x 49 mm3

Duration: 4 min 48s 

CEST

CEST

Purpose: pH, interstitial protein accumulation, molecular imaging

Spatial Resolution: 0.7 x 0.7 x 7 mm3

Readout: 3D EPI readout (factor 7)

TR: 155 ms, TE: 7.1 ms

Saturation Pulse: Gaussian-windowed sinc pulse; B1 Amplitude: 2 µt; frequency offset Δω = -5.5 to 5.5 ppm; increments of 0.2 ppm

Field-of-View: 180 x 180 x 105 mm3

Flip Angle: 15 degrees

Duration: 6 min 45s

3 Tesla Lower Body

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lower localizer

Lower body MRI

Purpose: localization

Coil: sodium 23NA knee quadrature RX coil (Rapid Biomedical GmbH, Rimpar, Germany); body coil TX

 

 

sodium

Leg sodium

Purpose: regional sodium quantitation (mM/L)

Spatial Resolution: 3 x 3 x 30 mm3

Readout: 3D gradient echo

TR: 130 ms, TE: 0.99 ms

Field-of-View: 192 x 192 x 210 mm3

Flip Angle: 90 degrees

Duration: 15 min 54s

lower dixon

Dixon

Purpose: visualization of fat and water

Spatial Resolution: 1 x 1 x 5 mm3

Readout: 3D gradient echo

TR: 200 ms, TE1: 1.15 ms, TE2: 2.30 ms

Field-of-View: 192 x 192 x 30 mm3

Flip Angle: 10 degrees

Reconstructed Images: in-phase, out-of-phase, water-only (e.g. top image), and fat-only (e.g. bottom image)

Duration: 2 min 56s

mrl

Noninvasive Lymphangiography

Purpose: visualization of lymphatic vessels

Spatial Resolution: 1.39 x 1.39 x 3 mm3

Readout:  3D turbo spin echo

TR: 3000 ms, TE: 600 ms

Field-of-View: 445 x 241 x 180 mm3

Flip Angle: 90 degrees

Two 60-mm thick presaturation slabs placed 20mm inferior and superior to imaging volume

Duration: 10 min 51s

t2 lower

T2-weighted fat suppression

Purpose: visualization of tissue and edema

Spatial Resolution: 0.3 x 0.3 x 5 mm3

Readout: multi-slice turbo spin echo

TR: 3610 ms, TE: 60 ms

Field-of-View: 192 x 192 x 225 mm3

Flip Angle: 90 degrees

Duration: 8 min 32s

 

 

 

t1

T1-weighted

Purpose: visualization of tissue and fat

Spatial Resolution: 0.5 x 0.5 x 5 mm3

Readout: multi-slice turbo spin echo

TR: 1328 ms, TE: 15 ms

Field-of-View: 192 x 192 x 225 mm3

Flip Angle: 90 degrees

Duration: 7 min 6s