Erin K. Englund1, Michael C. Langham2, Cheng Li1, Emile R. Mohler3, Thomas F. Floyd4, Felix W. Wehrli2
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 2Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 3Department of Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
To make use of the dead time during the post-labeling delay inherent in ASL sequences, a hybrid PASL/MR susceptometry sequence was developed capable of measuring perfusion, a microvascular parameter, and venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), a macrovascular parameter, with 2-second temporal resolution. Repeated measurements of perfusion alone, SvO2 alone, and PASL/SvO2 combined revealed no significant difference between the perfusion measurements (PASL vs. PASL/SvO2), or SvO2 (susceptometry vs. PASL/SvO2). These data suggest that the combined method is capable of quantifying perfusion and oxygen saturation simultaneously, thus providing measures of vascular physiology on both the macrovascular and microvascular level.