Free-breathing quantification of renal oxygenation with field-insensitive T2-preparation and velocity-selective EPI acquisition

Motivation: The development of a non-contrast and robust MRI technique for renal oxygen metabolism quantification can help in both diagnosis and prognosis in kidney diseases. Goal(s): To propose a motion-robust free-breathing method for renal oxygenation quantification. Approach: A method using field-insensitive T2-preparation and Fourier-transform based velocity-selective EPI-readout was proposed. In-vivo experiments were conducted to exam stability and test-retest reproducibility. Caffeine challenge was performed to exam sensitivity. Results: In-vivo experiments showed a good stability consistent with numerical simulation and a high test-retest reproducibility. The sensitivity to renal oxygenation change was shown in caffeine challenge study, where renal metabolic rate of oxygen increased after caffeine intake. Impact: The proposed method has the potential to provide accurate and stable estimation for renal oxygenation quantification.