Dual-source RF in 3T MRI reduces spinal cord exam time

Tuesday, November 30 | 10:40 a.m.-10:50 a.m. | SSG10-02 | Room N226

Dual-source radiofrequency (RF) transmission in 3-tesla MRI of the spinal cord reduces exam time by one-third and produces diagnostic-quality images comparable to standard single-transmission sequences, according to a new study from the University of Bonn Medical Center in Germany.

"The reduction of acquisition time may be of special interest in patients with back pain or claustrophobia," said study co-author Michael Nelles, MD, who will present the results in Chicago.

Researchers used a 3-tesla MRI scanner (Achieva 3.0T TX, Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA) equipped with multisource RF transmission to scan spinal cords of 30 patients. A total of 77 sequences with and without parallel transmission were available for patient comparison.

Diagnostic quality of examinations was rated from 1 for nondiagnostic to 4 for excellent. Contrast ratios also were calculated between reference tissues and vertebrae for single and parallel transmission

With the help of dual-source RF transmission, the researchers found that examination time was reduced by 36%. The total scan duration of a three-station whole-spine examination, including axial imaging stacks in all three stations, could be reduced from 44 minutes to 30 minutes using parallel RF transmission compared to single transmit mode.

The spinal 3-tesla MR images with parallel transmission also yielded a median assessment of at least adequate image quality in all of the compared sequences. Nelles and colleagues found no case with nondiagnostic image quality.