The Effect of Temperature & Closing the Eye on T1-Based MRI Methods to Image Oxygen Tension in the Eye

Eric R. Muir¹, Yi Zhang¹, Oscar San Emeterio Nateras¹, Timothy Q. Duong¹, ²

This study aims to determine whether temperature gradient across the eye could affect T1-based vitreous pO2 measurement in humans by closing and covering the eye to reduce temperature gradients. Calibrations of T1 at different pO2 and temperatures were performed on water phantoms and ex vivo eyes. T1 maps and pO2 were obtained on human subjects with the eye open or closed/covered. Closing the eye caused T1 increase, so temperature effects on T1 in the eye may need to be accounted for. Closing the eye is a simple method to remove confounding temperature gradients across the vitreous for T1-based pO2 mapping.