Multi Station

Multi Station is a GE protocol that is an alternative to QuickSTEP. It provides automatic table movement and switching of coils between stations for peripheral vascular run-offs. It allows you to prescan at multiple stations to optimize image quality and it properly annotates image locations based on the landmark. Therefore, this protocol allows imaging of multiple phases of contrast enhancement at multiple anatomical locations typically with one contrast injection. It can be performed in conjunction with a bolus triggering technique, such as SmartPrep or Fluoro Trigger.

The Multi Station sequence is acquired following the optional acquisition of a localizer meta-series. A meta-series consists of multiple series linked together. The localizer meta-series is a 3-Plane localizer that acquires several series, at different locations, across the anatomy of interest. The localizer images are used for defining the scan locations for the sequence. It is easier to save the localizers as your sites protocols when they are separate series, i.e., not linked. The meta-series can be prescribed from any localizer series. You may chose to acquire a TOF acquisition as a localizer rather than a 3-Plane Localizer acquisition.

The mask, arterial or venous sequences are also meta-series, and include one to four 3D (Fast TOF GRE or Fast TOF SPGR) series with unique scan locations. In the meta-series, the Number of Stations is defined at the Multi Station screen. The Number of Stations indicates the number of separate series that will be scanned during the series. When the Multi Station screen is saved in protocol edit session, the Workflow Manager lists additional new series identical to the series just saved.

Once all series within the meta-series are prescribed and saved, all the series are then prescanned. The prescan values are saved by the system until the station associated with those prescan values is ready to be scanned. When prescan has been completed for any of these stations, the Workflow Manager changes the state from RxD to PSCD. If they have not been prescanned, they will be listed as RXD as long as they have been saved.

At the time of contrast injection, the meta-series is initiated with the Scan enabled. For Fast 3D TOF sequences, the first station can be initiated using SmartPrep or Fluoro Trigger. When the bolus is detected, the 3D volume at station 1 is acquired. Upon completion of the first station, the table moves and the volume at station 2 is acquired. The system automatically moves the table and initiates data acquisition until all stations are acquired.

With Multi Station:

• a single, slow, or bi-phasic contrast injection can be used to obtain 3D Fast TOF data sets of the arterial system. The SmartPrep tracker feature or Fluoro Trigger can be used to detect the bolus at the first station and initiate data acquisition for the first station of the Bolus Pursuit meta-series.
• the venogram option can be used with 3D Fast TOF to obtain a meta-series with venous phase information.
• a mask meta-series can be acquired with 3D Fast TOF and used to create subtraction images at both arterial and venous phases.
• the meta-series can be prescribed from any localizer series; however, a 3-plane localizer meta-series is most often used.