New 3D MRI technique can spot heart muscles scar without using contrast agents

New 3D MRI technique can spot heart muscles scar without using contrast agents and is therefore safe for kidneys.

Researchers at WMG, University of Warwick have found that 3D Magnetic Resonance imaging computing can measure strain on the heart using an image registration method. The traditional method involves giving the patient a dose of gadolinium which can affect the kidney. The findings of the research have been published in Journal Scientific Reports.

MRIs are used to diagnose cardiac diseases such as cardiomyopathy, heart attacks, irregular heartbeats and other heart diseases.

Key findings are-

• Traditional Magnetic Resonance imaging scans use the metal gadolinium, which resonates areas of the heart muscles that are not functioning efficiently, however, gadolinium affect the Kidney function


• The new 3D MRI computing technique calculates strain in heart muscles showing which muscles are not functioning enough without damaging other organs - researchers at WMG, University of Warwick have found


• The new technique is less stressful for the patient.

Traditionally when a patient goes for magnetic Resonance imaging scan they are given a dose of gadolinium, which reacts the magnetic field of the scanner to produce an image of the protons in the metal realigning with the magnetic field. The faster the protons realign, the brighter the image features and can show where the dead muscles are in the heart and what the diagnosis is.

The dose of gadolinium can have detrimental effects to other parts of the body, particularly the risk of kidney failure.

A new 3D Magnetic Resonance imaging computing technique developed by scientists in WMG at the University of Warwick that focuses on Hierarchical Template Matching (HTM) technique. Which involves:

• A numerically stable technique of LV myocardial tracking


• A 3D extension of local weighted mean function to transform MRI pixels


• A 3D extension of Hierarchical Template Matching model for myocardial tracking problems

Therefore meaning there is no need for gadolinium reducing the risk of damage to other organs.

Professor Mark Williams, from WMG at the University of Warwick comments:

"Using 3D MRI computing technique we can see in more depth what is happening to the heart, more precisely to each heart muscles, and diagnose any issues such as remodelling of heart that causes heart failure. The new method avoids the risk of damaging the kidney opposite to what traditional methods do by using gadolinium."

Jayendra Bhalodiya, who conducted the research from WMG, University of Warwick adds:

"This new MRI technique also takes away the stress from the patient, as during an MRI the patient must be very still in a very enclosed environment meaning some people suffer from claustrophobia and have to stop the scan, often when they do this they have to administer another dose of the damaging gadolinium and start again. This technique doesn't require a dosage of anything, as it tracks the heart naturally."