Molecular Body Imaging with MRI, CT and US, Part I

Targeted CE per ARRT’s Discipline, Category, and Subcategory classification:
[Note: Discipline-specific Targeted CE credits may be less than the total Category A credits approved for this course.]

Computed Tomography: 0.25
Patient Care: 0.25
Patient Interactions and Management: 0.25

Magnetic Resonance Imaging: 0.75
Patient Care: 0.75
Patient Interactions and Management: 0.75

Nuclear Medicine Technology: 0.25
Patient Care: 0.25
Patient Interactions and Management: 0.25

Registered Radiologist Assistant: 0.25
Patient Care: 0.25
Pharmacology: 0.25

Sonography: 0.25
Patient Care: 0.25
Patient Interactions and Management: 0.25

Outline

1. Introduction
2. Molecular MR Imaging
3. Principles of MR Contrast Agents
   1. T2 and T1 Contrast Agents
   2. Contrast Agents Based on Fluorine 19
   3. Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Agents
   4. Activatable MR Contrast Agents
   5. Multimodality Probes
   6. Hyperpolarization
4. Molecular CT Imaging
5. Principles of Molecular CT Contrast Agents
6. Molecular US Imaging
7. Principles of Molecular US Contrast Agents
8. Quantification of Molecular US Imaging Signal By Using US Contrast Microbubbles

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

1. understand the drawbacks of PET imaging
2. recognize the imaging modalities that currently provide anatomic information
3. recognize the imaging modalities that provide the highest contrast sensitivity
4. understand the effects of a T1 MRI contrast agent
5. recognize examples of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
6. understand the process of iron oxide nanoparticle filtration and excretion
7. be familiar with the characteristics of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles
8. be familiar with the characteristics of gadolinium
9. recognize the characteristics of new gadolinium-containing molecular MR agents
10. be familiar with the elemental targets of MR imaging
11. understand the benefits and drawbacks of MR imaging with fluorine-19
12. be familiar with intrinsic tissue properties highlighted by contrast-enhanced MR imaging
13. know the components of targeted PARACEST MR agents
14. define the concept of multiplexing
15. understand the fundamentals of activatable MR contrast agents
16. know the terminology of activatable MR contrast agents
17. understand the effects of magnetic relaxation switching
18. recognize the benefits of MRI as a basis for multimodality probes
19. differentiate the use of radioactive and non-radioactive gases
20. recognize the benefits of hyperpolarization
21. understand the basics of nuclear magnetic alignment
22. recognize the benefits of CT imaging
23. understand the requirements of CT contrast agents
24. recognize the drawbacks of current non-targeted CT contrast agents
25. distinguish the components of molecular CT agents from other modalities
26. identify the characteristics of a bismuth sulfide molecular CT agent
27. recognize the benefits of US imaging
28. compare the benefit of a targeted US agent over a non-targeted agent
29. understand the physical principles of imaging US microbubbles
30. be familiar with the characteristics of non-microbubble ultrasound contrast agents
31. understand the metabolic and excretory pathway of an ultrasound microbubble
32. understand the concentrations of current non-targeted ultrasound microbubbles
33. identify current uses of non-targeted ultrasound microbubbles
34. recognize the features of absolute quantitative ultrasound analysis
35. identify the modalities that employ semiquantitative analysis techniques