Traceable calibration for an MRI Perfusion Measurement

Perfusion represents the amount of arterial blood delivered to an organ, and is of clinical importance for dementia, stroke, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. It can be measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) using a technique known as Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL). ASL provides images in which every pixel has a given value; however, due to the lack of an existing device allowing to simulate what happens in the body, ASL has not yet seen a major clinical uptake, despite its advantages over other techniques. We have developed a product which can be used to calibrate ASL images, in which every pixel is guaranteed to have the proper value. Such a product would allow radiologists to use ASL as a clinical tool for diagnosis; however, in order for this to happen, we need to understand the uncertainties that apply to our own organ model, and how precisely MRI can measure perfusion. This project will be in partnership with NPL and NEL, using NPL’s expertise in mathematical modelling, in particular in evaluating the uncertainty in both our model and the MRI measurements, and NEL’s expertise in simulation of fluid velocities. Through this collaboration, we hope to further develop our device and allow our product to have positive impact on radiology worldwide.