Zaporzan Benjamin, Waspe Adam C, Looi Thomas, Mougenot Charles, Partanen Ari, Pichardo Samuel
Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6V4, Canada ; Electrical Engineering, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.
J Ther Ultrasound. 2013 Jun 4;1:7. doi: 10.1186/2050-5736-1-7. eCollection 2013.
The availability of open and versatile software tools is a key feature to facilitate pre-clinical research for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) and expedite clinical translation of diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications. In the present study, two customizable software tools that were developed at the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute are presented for use with both MRI and MR-HIFU. Both tools operate in a MATLAB(®;) environment. The first tool is named MatMRI and enables real-time, dynamic acquisition of MR images with a Philips MRI scanner. The second tool is named MatHIFU and enables the execution and dynamic modification of user-defined treatment protocols with the Philips Sonalleve MR-HIFU therapy system to perform ultrasound exposures in MR-HIFU therapy applications.
MatMRI requires four basic steps: initiate communication, subscribe to MRI data, query for new images, and unsubscribe. MatMRI can also pause/resume the imaging and perform real-time updates of the location and orientation of images. MatHIFU requires four basic steps: initiate communication, prepare treatment protocol, and execute treatment protocol. MatHIFU can monitor the state of execution and, if required, modify the protocol in real time.
Four applications were developed to showcase the capabilities of MatMRI and MatHIFU to perform pre-clinical research. Firstly, MatMRI was integrated with an existing small animal MR-HIFU system (FUS Instruments, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) to provide real-time temperature measurements. Secondly, MatMRI was used to perform T2-based MR thermometry in the bone marrow. Thirdly, MatHIFU was used to automate acoustic hydrophone measurements on a per-element basis of the 256-element transducer of the Sonalleve system. Finally, MatMRI and MatHIFU were combined to produce and image a heating pattern that recreates the word 'HIFU' in a tissue-mimicking heating phantom.
MatMRI and MatHIFU leverage existing MRI and MR-HIFU clinical platforms to facilitate pre-clinical research. MatMRI substantially simplifies the real-time acquisition and processing of MR data. MatHIFU facilitates the testing and characterization of new therapy applications using the Philips Sonalleve clinical MR-HIFU system. Under coordination with Philips Healthcare, both MatMRI and MatHIFU are intended to be freely available as open-source software packages to other research groups.
开放且通用的软件工具的可用性是促进磁共振成像（MRI）和磁共振引导高强度聚焦超声（MR-HIFU）的临床前研究以及加快诊断和治疗医学应用临床转化的关键特性。在本研究中，展示了由桑德贝地区研究所开发的两种可定制软件工具，它们可与MRI和MR-HIFU配合使用。这两种工具均在MATLAB(®;)环境中运行。第一种工具名为MatMRI，可通过飞利浦MRI扫描仪实时动态采集MR图像。第二种工具名为MatHIFU，可使用飞利浦Sonalleve MR-HIFU治疗系统执行并动态修改用户定义的治疗方案，以在MR-HIFU治疗应用中进行超声照射。
MatMRI需要四个基本步骤：启动通信、订阅MRI数据、查询新图像以及取消订阅。MatMRI还可以暂停/恢复成像，并对图像的位置和方向进行实时更新。MatHIFU需要四个基本步骤：启动通信、准备治疗方案以及执行治疗方案。MatHIFU可以监控执行状态，并在需要时实时修改方案。
开发了四个应用程序来展示MatMRI和MatHIFU进行临床前研究的能力。首先，MatMRI与现有的小动物MR-HIFU系统（加拿大安大略省多伦多市的FUS Instruments公司）集成，以提供实时温度测量。其次，MatMRI用于在骨髓中进行基于T2的MR测温。第三，MatHIFU用于在Sonalleve系统的256阵元换能器的每个阵元基础上自动进行水听器测量。最后，将MatMRI和MatHIFU结合起来，在组织模拟加热体模中生成并成像一个形成“HIFU”字样的加热模式。
MatMRI和MatHIFU利用现有的MRI和MR-HIFU临床平台来促进临床前研究。MatMRI极大地简化了MR数据的实时采集和处理。MatHIFU有助于使用飞利浦Sonalleve临床MR-HIFU系统对新治疗应用进行测试和表征。在与飞利浦医疗保健公司的协调下，MatMRI和MatHIFU都打算作为开源软件包免费提供给其他研究小组。
