Traditional Posters: Miscellaneous

Yongxian Qian¹, Fernando E. Boada<sup>1

1</sup>MR Research Center, Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Triple quantum (TQ) sodium imaging is an effective means decreasing the contribution from the intracellular and fluid spaces to the sodium (23Na) signal. The sodium TQ signal is, however, much weaker than the single quantum (SQ, or total tissue) signal (~1/10). In this study, we evaluate the SNR performance of TQ sodium MRI of the human brain at both 7T and 3T. Our results demonstrate that the theoretical SNR gains of 7T have tremendous benefits for TQ sodium MRI.

992. Single - Channel Multi - Coil Array

Iga Muradyan¹, Feng Zhou², Pooja Soni², Mikayel Dabaghyan¹, Samuel Patz¹, Mirko I. Hrovat<sup>3

1</sup>Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; ²University of Massachusetts, Lowell; ³Mirtech, Inc, Brockton, MA, United States

Here we report on a design and initial tests of a single-channel multi-coil array. As the name of the array suggests, this system will provide an efficient and simple way of using multiple coils on a single channel scanner. This has a significant cost advantage over multi-transmit channels. SCMC arrays would be beneficial to use when there is perfusion and/or T1 . One such case identified is white and gray matter measurements with hyperpolarized xenon.

993. Dixon and Chimera: Two Methods for Fast Separation of PFC Compounds with Small Chemical Shift Difference

Thomas Christian Basse-Luesebrink^1,2, Thomas Kampf¹, Guido Stoll², Peter Michael Jakob<sup>1

1</sup>Experimental Physics 5, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany; ²Neurology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany

Fluorine markers can possess a unique spectral ¹⁹F signal. Therefore, chemical shift imaging (CSI) methods can be used to distinguish between targets labeled with different fluorine markers. Certain PFC compounds, however, have only a small difference in the chemical shift and thus spectrally selective imaging or standard CSI methods are difficult to apply. This study focuses on two alternative methods to separate PFC compounds with a small chemical shift difference: a TSE sequence based on Dixon's method, often used to separate fat from water signal, and a recently presented ssfp Chimera method providing a specific off-resonant behavior.

994. Quantitative and Qualitative Renal Sodium-Imaging at 3T

Stefan Haneder¹, Simon Konstandin², Frank G. Zöllner², Armin M. Nagel³, Lothar R. Schad², Stefan O. Schönberg¹, Henrik J. Michaely<sup>1

1</sup>University Medical Center Mannheim, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; ²Heidelberg University, Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; ³German Cancer Research Center, Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Sodium imaging before/after water load (1L) was performed with 9 healthy volunteers. A density adapted 3D radial trajectory gradient-echo sequence was used at a 3T clinical MR scanner. Linear cortico-medullary sodium gradients were assessed before/after water load. Using standardized sodium phantoms these gradients were quantified. A decrease of the quantitative sodium concentration of about 22% after water load was stated. This study suggests that sodium imaging might be an appropriate, noninvasive method for physiological imaging of the human kidney. The current technique is sufficient for the quantification of the renal sodium concentration and its change in different physiological conditions.

995. 2D and 3D Spectrally Selective ³¹P Imaging at 3 Tesla