MRI Phantom Diffusivity Control via Composite Solvent Solute
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phantoms for quantitative diffusion MRI lack desirable magnetic resonance spectra and diffusion decay profiles, and fail to span the entire range of diffusivities found in biological tissues under various physiological conditions, leading to image artifacts and limited ADC value representation.
Innovation Solution
A calibration phantom with a solvent having a higher diffusivity than water and a solute that reduces diffusivity through chemical interactions, allowing for controlled adjustment of diffusivity values within the physiological range, while maintaining a single-peak NMR spectrum and Gaussian diffusion propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pure substances such as water or ethanol are used for phantoms, then the construction is easy and diffusion behavior is well-characterized, but the magnetic resonance spectrum has multiple peaks leading to image artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining water (solvent) with solutes such as sucrose, PVP, or salts to create a phantom solution. This composite approach allows the solution to have a single-peak NMR spectrum while maintaining controlled diffusivity, thereby eliminating image artifacts while preserving ease of construction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If pure substances are used for phantoms, then the diffusion behavior is simple and well-characterized, but only a limited number of discrete ADC values can be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the phantom by using solutions with varying concentrations of solutes. By adjusting the concentration of solutes like sucrose, PVP, or salts in the water-based solution, the diffusivity can be continuously tuned across the entire physiological range (0.62×10−3 to 2.60×10−3 mm2/s), providing both stability and versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If water solution phantoms with solutes are used, then the diffusivity can be adjusted, but the desired magnetic resonance spectra and diffusion decay profiles are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by carefully selecting specific solutes (sucrose, PVP, salts) and their concentrations to achieve the desired local properties of the solution. This ensures that the solution has both the correct diffusivity characteristics and a single-peak NMR spectrum with Gaussian diffusion propagation, enabling precise diffusion measurements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The phantom enables reproducible and accurate measurement of ADC values across the entire physiological range, facilitating the development and validation of quantitative diffusion MRI techniques with reduced image artifacts.
Implementation Method 1
The solvent has a base diffusivity higher than the diffusivity of water, and the solute reduces the diffusivity of the solution through chemical interactions with the solvent
Data Source
AI summary
A phantom for use with magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) and, in particular, for calibrating quantitative diffusion MRI is provided. In general, the phantom includes a solution composed of a solvent that has diffusivity value higher than that of water, and a solute that when added to the solvent reduces the diffusivity of the solution. By varying the combined concentration of the solvent and solute, the diffusivity of the solution can be controlled to fall within a range of diffusivity values found in biological tissues in a variety of different physiological conditions or tissue environments.