Discovery mr750 3t mr scanner

Patients were scanned on a GE Discovery MR750 3T MR scanner with a GE 8-channel Torso Array (GE Healthcare Milwaukee, WI, USA) using a flat-topped couch to reproduce the radiotherapy treatment position. Following the acquisition of a T2-weighted image (FRFSE sequence, TR 3700s, TE 133.50s, slice thickness 3.0 mm, slice gap 0.3 mm, matrix size 512 × 512, field of view 240x240, 21 slices), the Modified Look-Locker Inversion Recovery (MOLLI) [24] (link) T1-mapping sequences (FIESTA sequence, slice thickness 5.0 mm, resolution 1.7 mm × 1.7 mm, FOV = 380 mm, 11 inversion times, flip angle = 35°, TR = 3000 ms, TE = 120 ms) were acquired in a single transverse slice through the tumour volume. The MOLLI scans were acquired while the patient was breathing air and then again when given 100% oxygen to breathe via an Intersurgical EcoLite high concentration oxygen mask (Intersurgical Ltd, Berkshire, UK). Scanning was performed only once the end tidal oxygen levels reached 70%, measured using a Respiratory Gas Analyzer ML206 and and a PowerLab 4/26 (ADInstruments Ltd, Oxford, UK). This imaging procedure was performed prior to treatment (‘visit 1’), and after fraction 8–10 of radical chemoradiotherapy (‘visit 2’).

Brain imaging data were acquired on a GE Discovery MR750 3T MR scanner. High-resolution T1-weighted images used a 3D brain volume imaging (BRAVO) sequence (136 axial slices; time of repetition, 8.2 ms; time of echo, 3.2 ms; inversion time, 450 ms; field-of-view, 240 × 240 mm; slice thickness, 1.0 mm; no intersection gap; matrix, 256 × 256; number of excitations, 1; flip angle, 12°; bandwidth, 31.25 kHz).
Arterial spin labeling images used a three-dimensional pseudo-continuous ASL (3D pCASL) technique (Ding et al., 2014 (link)) with background suppression and outward-direction spiral readout (time of repetition, 4,830 ms; time of echo, 10.5 ms; labeling duration, 1,500 ms; post labeling delay, 2,025 ms; field-of-view, 240 × 240 mm; slice thickness, 4 mm; matrix, 128 × 128; number of excitations, 3; flip angle, 155°; eight spiral arms with 512 points in each arm; bandwidth, 62.5 kHz; the resolution, 1.9 × 1.9 mm). An additional proton density-weighted image of absolute CBF quantification used the same acquisition parameters. Then, ASL images were transferred to the Advantage Workstation for Diagnostic Imaging 4.6 (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA), and the quantitative CBF maps, in units of ml/100 g/min, were calculated using vender provided toolbox. There were no user-modifiable parameters for generating CBF maps in the toolbox for ASL images.