2D real-time magnetic resonance imaging to characterize myocardial oxygenation during breathing maneuvers

Motivation: Oxygen-sensitive (OS) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with breathing maneuvers is a promising method for assessing myocardial perfusion through its oxygenation, but the lack of motion correction limits the characterization of myocardial oxygenation. Goal(s): Continuously characterize myocardial oxygenation changes during breathing maneuvers with 2D real-time radial OS-CMR. Approach: We implemented a 2D radial sequence with automated breath-hold detection and myocardial segmentation to track oxygen-sensitive signal during breathing maneuvers. We compared this to standard 2D Cartesian OS-CMR in healthy volunteers. Results: Real-time continuous OS-CMR provided refined sensitivity to hyperventilation-induced signal changes and improved reproducibility compared to state-of-the-art Cartesian OS-CMR. Impact: This study advances oxygen-sensitive CMR by introducing real-time 2D radial imaging with automated processing to continuously capture myocardial oxygenation, extending the wealth of information and the feasibility of this needle-free imaging for cardiovascular diseases.