GLOBAL CARDIAC-FUNCTION USING FAST BREATH-HOLD MRI - VALIDATION OF NEW ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

Calculation of global cardiac function parameters has been validated u sing fast, segmented k-space, breath-hold, gradient-echo, magnetic res onance images. Images of phantoms, experimental animals, normal volunt eers, and patients were acquired with a 1.5 T clinical scanner, Humans were imaged using two phased-array surface coils in multicoil mode, M yocardial contours were extracted using a new interactive, semi-automa ted method based on the active contour model method, Images were acqui red in the short-axis orientation, and, using a new imaging and analys is strategy, in rotating plane long-axis orientations, to provide bett er definition of the valve planes and the apex, and also to reduce the number of slices (compared with the short-axis method) required to sa mple the whole heart, Validation was accomplished through calculation of the volumes of phantoms and left and right ventricular masses of an imal hearts. Functional parameters from MRI were compared with those f rom echocardiograms and radionuclide angiograms in normal volunteers a nd patients, respectively.