MRI-based methodology to monitor the impact of positional changes on the airway caliber in obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Purpose: To develop a non-invasive MRI-based methodology to visually and quantitatively assess the impact of head and chest rotations on the airway caliber.

Methods: An MRI table set-up was developed for independent rotations of the head and chest along B field and tested for feasibility using phantom scans. The accuracy of the head and chest rotations was validated with ten volunteer scans. A 3T MRI protocol was optimized to image the regions of interest (ROIs) that were the retropalatal (RP) and retroglossal (RG) sections of the upper airway. A workflow for data analysis was developed to assess the changes of the airway caliber following the independent head and chest rotations.

Results: A prototype MRI table setup was established with two separate plates each supporting and rotating the head or chest independently. Subject positioning and image acquisition were finished within seven minutes for each position. Thus, each subject MRI was set up with seven positions and completed for less than one hour. The implemented angles were within 0.3-degree deviation from the targeted angles. The data analysis workflow provided 2D and 3D visualization and quantification with the measurements of cross-sectional area, lateral and anterior-posterior distances of the ROIs. Sharp contrast of the airway and its surrounding tissues facilitated an automatic approach to ROI placement to minimize subjectivity.

Conclusions: The 3T MRI data acquisition and analysis methodology could reliably assess the impact of head and chest rotations on the upper airway caliber to identify the optimal position for obstructive sleep apnea patients.