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Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have
developed a new approach to speed up MRI scans for
those who cannot hold their breath.
Testing the new approach on MRI scans of the liver
in patients with type 2 diabetes, the researchers
were able to cut the amount of time they’re required
to hold their breath from 18 seconds to just four.
Image courtesy of K. Hollingsworth: MRI can detect and measure fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetes. Cross-section showing liver with excess fat stored (32%, green) and normal spleen (negligible fat content, black).
MRI is a type of scan that can provide detailed
images of organs and soft tissue inside the body and
is widely used to diagnose and monitor disease and
health. While the technique can provide incredibly
detailed images, patients need to lie completely
still and in some cases hold their breath for
several seconds which for many can be difficult.
The new MRI technique exploits the fact that MRI
images can be mathematically compressed in a similar
way to digital photographs stored in JPEG files.
This compressibility means that much less data is
needed to form a detailed view of the liver.
Normally, reducing the scan time to this degree
would produce a blurred image, but the new approach
was able to form an image with the same clarity and
content as the much longer scan.
The research studied 11 patients with type 2
diabetes, a condition in which MRI scans are used to
monitor the effect of dietary and physical activity
therapy.
Dr Kieren Hollingsworth, senior author based at the
University of Newcastle, said: “This work could play
an important role in clinical trials, where
assessing the outcome of an intervention is often
based on the results of MRI scans. The technique now
needs to be tested further but if it works it could
be used for a wider range of organs and disease
types helping to slash the time that it takes for
MRI scans to be performed.”
Dr Joe McNamara, Head of Population & Systems
Medicine at the MRC who funded the study, said: “MRI
is used widely across the NHS to diagnose disease,
plan treatments or assess the effectiveness of
treatment and its use is increasing year on year.
This research will help improve the quality and
accessibility of MRI scans. The scale of MRI use in
the UK will mean these findings will also help
improve the efficiency of the health service.”
For more information
The study is published in the journal Radiology
Accelerating MR Imaging Liver Steatosis Measurement
Using Combined Compressed Sensing and Parallel
Imaging: A Quantitative Evaluation
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