Phase-sensitive fat suppression steady-state free procession sequence with phase correction

Robust and fast fat suppression is a challenge in balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) magnetic resonance imaging. Although single-acquisition phase-sensitive SSFP can provide fat-suppressed images in short scan time, phase errors, especially spatially-dependent phase shift, caused by a variety of factors may result in misplacement of fat and water voxels. In this paper, a novel phase correction algorithm was used to calibrate those phase errors during image reconstruction. This algorithm corrects phase by region growing, employing both the magnitude and the phase information of image pixels. Phantom and \textit{in vivo} imagings were performed to validate the technique. As a result, excellent fat-suppressed images were acquired by using single-acquisition phase-sensitive SSFP with phase correction.     

Phase-sensitive fat suppression steady-state free procession sequence with phase correction

Robust and fast fat suppression is a challenge in balanced steady-state free precession （SSFP） magnetic resonance imaging. Although single-acquisition phase-sensitive SSFP can provide fat-suppressed images in short scan time, phase errors, especially spatially-dependent phase shift, caused by a variety of factors may result in misplacement of fat and water voxels. In this paper, a novel phase correction algorithm was used to calibrate those phase errors during image reconstruction. This algorithm corrects phase by region growing, employing both the magnitude and the phase information of image pixels. Phantom and in vivo imagings were performed to validate the technique. As a result, excellent fat-suppressed images were acquired by using single-acquisition phase-sensitive SSFP with phase correction.     

Three-dimensional fluid-suppressed T2-prep flow-independent peripheral angiography using balanced SSFP

Accurate depiction of the vessels of the lower leg, foot or hand benefits from suppression of bright MR signal from lipid (such as bone marrow) and long-T1 fluid (such as synovial fluid and edema). Signal independence of blood flow velocities, good arterial/muscle contrast and arterial/venous separation are also desirable. The high SNR, short scan times and flow properties of balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) make it an excellent candidate for flow-independent angiography. In this work, a new magnetization-prepared 3D SSFP sequence for flow-independent peripheral angiography is presented. The technique combines a number of component techniques (phase-sensitive fat detection, inversion recovery, T2-preparation and square-spiral phase-encode ordering) to achieve high-contrast peripheral angiograms at only a modest scan time penalty over simple 3D SSFP. The technique is described in detail, a parameter optimization performed and preliminary results presented achieving high contrast and 1-mm isotropic resolution in a normal foot.     

Frequency-shift based detection of BMS contrast agents using SSFP: potential for MRA

A novel mechanism of MRI contrast enhancement, based on the detection by a balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence of the proton resonance frequency shift induced by bulk magnetic susceptibility (BMS) contrast agents, was investigated. The potential for this contrast mechanism to image blood vessels was explored. The relaxation time and the frequency shift effects of gadolinium- and dysprosium-DOTA on SSFP signal was first simulated and evaluated on a water phantom at 1.5 T. In vitro, a 5-mM concentration in contrast agent induced a 20-Hz frequency shift, leading to a signal increase of 92% for Dy-DOTA, and a 10-Hz frequency shift, leading to a signal increase of 58% for Gd-DOTA at the reference frequency, taking into account the nonlinear SSFP signal response on frequency offset. The concept was then evaluated in vivo on anesthetized rabbits. Low doses of dysprosium-DOTA were injected in their vascular system, and imaging was performed at the level of neck vessels. Following a bolus injection, mean signal changes of 31%, 20% and 14% were observed in the carotid arteries, the vertebral veins and the jugular veins, respectively. The bolus peak times in arteries and veins were consistent with the rabbit vascular circulation. This frequency-shift based contrast mechanism presents interesting potential for contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) compared to usual relaxation-based contrast, but further investigations on reproducibility will be necessary.     

Compensation of susceptibility-induced signal loss in echo-planar imaging for functional applications

Functional magnetic resonance imaging favors the use of multi-slice gradient-recalled echo-planar imaging due to its short image acquisition times, whole brain coverage and sensitivity to BOLD contrast. However, despite its advantages, gradient-recalled echo-planar imaging also is sensitive to static magnetic field gradients arising primarily from air-tissue interfaces. This can lead to image artifacts such as voxel shifts and complete signal loss. A method to recover signal loss by adjusting the refocusing gradient amplitude in the slice-select direction, preferably axially, is proposed. This method is implemented as an automated computer algorithm that partitions echo-planar images into regions of recoverable signal intensities using a histogram analysis and determines each region's proper refocusing gradient amplitude. As an example, different refocusing gradient amplitudes are interleaved in a fMRI acquisition to maximize the signal to noise ratio and obtain functional activation in normal and dropout regions. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by recovering signal voids in the orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal/amygdala region, and inferior visual association cortex near the cerebellum.     

Clinical experience with rapid 2DFT SSFP imaging at low field strength

A retrospective analysis of clinical imaging using 2DFT SSFP at 0.14 T is presented. The technique's potential for tissue characterization and its utility for clinical diagnosis were tested by both in vitro measurements of various tissues and in vivo clinical images. Different pulse angles not only influenced image contrast, but also helped characterize lesions, particularly those containing fat. In addition, the pulse angle changed the signal from venous flow perpendicular to the imaged slice. The slow flow sensitivity of the 2DFT SSFP technique was demonstrated in the detection of CSF motion. Rapid SSFP offers flow sensitivity and adequate lesion detecting ability, along with high patient throughput.     

The application of steady-state free precession in rapid 2DFT NMR imaging: FAST and CE-FAST sequences

In the classic spectroscopic steady-state free precession (SSFP) experiment, a regular sequence of phase-coherent radio frequency pulses is applied with constant flip angle and a repetition time shorter than the NMR relaxation times of the sample. As the steady state is reached, an NMR signal appears between pulses that consists of two distinct components: a free induction signal following the RF pulses and decaying during the repetition interval and a spin-echo-like signal forming at its end prior to the subsequent RF pulse. Both signals may be exploited for NMR imaging if the gradient schemes fulfill the phase coherence requirements of SSFP. This article describes two Fourier acquired steady-state sequences dubbed FAST and CE-FAST, which may be used for the rapid acquisition of NMR images from the SSFP signals.     

Stabilization of alternating TR steady-state free precession sequences

Alternating TR steady-state free precession (ATR SSFP) has been proposed as a method to achieve a favorable frequency response compared to that of conventional balanced SSFP. ATR SSFP, much like conventional SSFP, exhibits oscillatory transient signal behavior that can degrade image quality. Thus an efficient preparation scheme is desired in order to actively reduce this initial signal fluctuation. Using an approach similar to that of Le Roux [Simplified model and stabilization of SSFP sequences, J. Magn. Resonan. 163 (1) (2003) 23–37], we construct a mathematical model for ATR SSFP sequences and show a Fourier relation between the separated odd and even terms of the RF flip angle increment sequence during an initial preparation, and the resulting oscillatory residues. A weighted Kaiser–Bessel windowed ramp can be used to design preparation schemes for arbitrary TR₁, TR₂, and RF phase cycling combinations. Optimized Kaiser–Bessel windowed ramp preparations for wideband SSFP and fat-suppressed ATR SSFP imaging are tested in phantoms. The results show substantially reduced transient signal oscillation with this new initial preparation method.     

1H spectroscopy without solvent suppression: characterization of signal modulations at short echo times.

While most proton ((1)H) spectra acquired in vivo utilize selective suppression of the solvent signal for more sensitive detection of signals from the dilute metabolites, recent reports have demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of collecting in vivo data without solvent attenuation. When these acquisitions are performed at short echo times, the presence of frequency modulations of the water resonance may become an obstacle to the identification and quantitation of metabolite resonances. The present report addresses the characteristics, origin, and elimination of these sidebands. Sideband amplitudes were measured as a function of delay time between gradient pulse and data collection, as a function of gradient pulse amplitude, and as a function of spatial location of the sample for each of the three orthogonal gradient sets. Acoustic acquisitions were performed to demonstrate the correlation between mechanical vibration resonances and the frequencies of MR sidebands. A mathematical framework is developed and compared with the experimental results. This derivation is based on the theory that these frequency modulations are induced by magnetic field fluctuations generated by the transient oscillations of gradient coils.     

Accuracy and effectiveness of self-gating signals in free-breathing three-dimensional cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging

Conventional multiple breath-hold two-dimensional(2D) balanced steady-state free precession(SSFP) presents many difficulties in cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Recently, a self-gated free-breathing three-dimensional(3D) SSFP technique has been proposed as an alternative in many studies. However, the accuracy and effectiveness of selfgating signals have been barely studied before. Since self-gating signals are crucially important in image reconstruction, a systematic study of self-gating signals and comparison with external monitored signals are needed.Previously developed self-gated free-breathing 3D SSFP techniques are used on twenty-eight healthy volunteers. Both electrocardiographic(ECG) and respiratory bellow signals are also acquired during the scan as external signals. Self-gating signal and external signal are compared by trigger and gating window. Gating window is proposed to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of respiratory self-gating signal. Relative deviation of the trigger and root-mean-square-deviation of the cycle duration are calculated. A two-tailed paired t-test is used to identify the difference between self-gating and external signals. A Wilcoxon signed rank test is used to identify the difference between peak and valley self-gating triggers.The results demonstrate an excellent correlation(P = 0, R 0.99) between self-gating and external triggers. Wilcoxon signed rank test shows that there is no significant difference between peak and valley self-gating triggers for both cardiac(H = 0, P 0.10) and respiratory(H = 0, P 0.44) motions. The difference between self-gating and externally monitored signals is not significant(two-tailed paired-sample t-test: H = 0, P 0.90).The self-gating signals could demonstrate cardiac and respiratory motion accurately and effectively as ECG and respiratory bellow. The difference between the two methods is not significant and can be explained. Furthermore, few ECG trigger errors appear in some subjects while these errors are not found in self-gating signals.     

H-spectroscopic imaging using a modified Dixon method

Inhomogeneities of the static magnetic field and the different susceptibilities of the various types of tissue are a serious problem for all imaging methods of spectral separation of fat and water. In the Dixon method this problem is solved by using the absolute values of the image signals for the separation. In image regions where the fat signal is greater than the water signal, however, this results in an incorrect assignment of the computed solutions. A modified Dixon method was developed to easily carry out the spectral separation completely over the entire image by interactively building up a phase correction matrix after the data acquisition. The spectral delineation of the fat tissue finds an interesting application in the treatment planning with fast neutrons in accounting for the increase in dose.     

Accurate velocity mapping with FAcE

Spin dislocation between the slice selection, phase encoding, and frequency encoding is a source of image distortions. Two strategies can be pursued to improve the appearance of moving spins in an image. Either the sequence is made equally sensitive to velocity-dependent dislocation artifacts for all spatial directions or the sensitivity is reduced with a shorter echo time. The first approach increases the dislocation for the phase-encoding direction and is therefore not useful if velocity maps with minimal distortion are the goal. FAcE (FID acquired echoes) is a sequence with separate sampling of the left and right k-space half-planes that allows for very short echo times. It was applied for velocity mapping of flow in the slice select direction. Special attention was paid to a compact design of the velocity-encoding select gradient to achieve short echo times even with high velocity sensitivity. Artifacts introduced by in-plane motion were studied for FAcE and conventional gradient-echo sequences, both in phantom experiments and simulation. FAcE allows for very short echo times with inherent motion compensation of the frequency-encoding gradient. Thus, both motion-related dislocation artifacts and signal voids due to coherence loss in regions with irregular flow are minimal.     

基于反转恢复技术的水脂分离磁共振成像方法

提出了使用反转恢复技术获得独立的水和脂肪图像的磁共振成像（MRI）方法. 该方法利用水和脂肪T₁值的差异,在施加选择性180°准备脉冲后, 采用不同的反转恢复时间（T_I）2次采集MRI图像,计算出水和脂肪的信号贡献,获得水和脂肪独立的2套图像. 该方法可对水和脂肪进行良好的分离,避免常规水脂分离方法Dixon技术偶发的水-脂互换伪影的产生,同时,可避开相位校正,因此可使计算过程更为简单稳定.     

H Spectroscopy without Solvent Suppression: Characterization of Signal Modulations at Short Echo Times

While most proton (¹H) spectra acquired in vivo utilize selective suppression of the solvent signal for more sensitive detection of signals from the dilute metabolites, recent reports have demonstrated the feasibility and advantages of collecting in vivo data without solvent attenuation. When these acquisitions are performed at short echo times, the presence of frequency modulations of the water resonance may become an obstacle to the identification and quantitation of metabolite resonances. The present report addresses the characteristics, origin, and elimination of these sidebands. Sideband amplitudes were measured as a function of delay time between gradient pulse and data collection, as a function of gradient pulse amplitude, and as a function of spatial location of the sample for each of the three orthogonal gradient sets. Acoustic acquisitions were performed to demonstrate the correlation between mechanical vibration resonances and the frequencies of MR sidebands. A mathematical framework is developed and compared with the experimental results. This derivation is based on the theory that these frequency modulations are induced by magnetic field fluctuations generated by the transient oscillations of gradient coils.     

Robust prescan calibration for multiple spin-echo sequences: application to FSE and b-SSFP

The collection of fast imaging techniques that use multiple spin-echo (MSE) sequences relies on a precise phase relationship between spin echoes and stimulated echoes that form along the radiofrequency refocusing pulse train. Failure to achieve this condition produces dark banding artifacts that result from destructive interference between signal coherence pathways. Satisfying this condition on the microsecond timescale required is technically challenging for conditions involving strong diffusion-weighted gradients, for arbitrary orientation acquisitions and at large field strengths with high-resolution acquisitions. Two clinically significant MSE sequences, fast spin echo (FSE) and balanced steady-state free precession (b-SSFP), are investigated in this work using a 4-T whole-body scanner. We developed a readout-projection-based prescan technique that ensures coherent signal formation by utilizing banding artifacts to automatically adjust gradient balance. Subsequent image acquisition using the results of this prescan permits the formation of coherent-echo images, which are robust under challenging imaging conditions. The robustness of this approach is demonstrated for FSE and b-SSFP images obtained from the knees of human volunteers. We believe that the use of this prescan calibration technique for the alignment of signal pools in MSE sequences is critical at high fields and will facilitate the implementation of high-quality clinically significant sequences such as FSE and b-SSFP.     

Steady-state free precession with hyperpolarized 3He: experiments and theory

The magnetization response of hyperpolarized 3He gas to a steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence was simulated using matrix product operators. The simulations included the effects of flip angle (alpha), sequence timings, resonant frequency, gas diffusion coefficient, imaging gradients, T1 and T2. Experiments performed at 1.5 T, on gas phantoms and with healthy human subjects, confirm the predicted theory, and indicate increased SNR with SSFP through use of higher flip angles when compared to optimized spoiled gradient echo (SPGR). Simulations and experiments show some compromise to the SNR and some point spread function broadening at high alpha due to the incomplete refocusing of transverse magnetization, caused by diffusion dephasing from the readout gradient. Mixing of gas polarization levels by diffusion between slices is also identified as a source of signal loss in SSFP at higher alpha through incomplete refocusing. Nevertheless, in the sample experiments, a SSFP sequence with an optimized flip angle of alpha=20 degrees, and 128 sequential phase encoding views, showed a higher SNR when compared to SPGR (alpha=7.2 degrees) with the same bandwidth. Some of the gas sample experiments demonstrated a transient signal response that deviates from theory in the initial phase. This was identified as being caused by radiation damping interactions between the large initial transverse magnetization and the high quality factor (Q=250) birdcage resonator. In 3He NMR experiments, performed without imaging gradients, diffusion dephasing can be mitigated, and the effective T2 is relatively long (1 s). Under these circumstances the SSFP sequence behaves like a CPMG sequence with sinalpha/2 weighting of SNR. Experiments and simulations were also performed to characterize the off-resonance behaviour of the SSFP HP 3He signal. Characteristic banding artifacts due to off-resonance harmonic beating were observed in some of the in vivo SSFP images, for instance in axial slices close to the diaphragm where B0 inhomogeneity is highest. Despite these artifacts, a higher SNR was observed with SSFP in vivo when compared to the SPGR sequence. The trends predicted by theory of increasing SSFP SNR with increasing flip angle were observed in the range alpha=10-20 degrees without compromise to image quality through blurring caused by excessive k-space filtering.     

Variable flip angle imaging and fat suppression in combined gradient and spin-echo (GREASE) techniques

Conventional "proton density" and "T2-weighted" spin-echo images are susceptible to motion induced artifact, which is exacerbated by lipid signals. Gradient moment nulling can reduce motion artifact but lengthens the minimum TE, degrading the "proton density" contrast. We designed a pulse sequence capable of optimizing proton density and T2-weighted contrast while suppressing lipid signals and motion induced artifacts. Proton density weighting was obtained by rapid readout gradient reversal immediately after the excitation RF pulse, within a conventional spin-echo sequence. By analyzing the behavior of the macroscopic magnetization and optimizing excitation flip angle, we suppressed T1 contribution to the image, thereby enhancing proton density and T2-weighted contrast with a two- to four-fold reduction of repetition time. This permitted an increased number of averages to be used, reducing motion induced artifacts. Fat suppression in the presence of motion was investigated in two groups of 8 volunteers each by (i) modified Dixon technique, (ii) selective excitation, and (iii) hybrid of both. Elimination of fat signal by the first technique was relatively uniform across the field of view, but it did not fully suppress the ghosts originating from fat motion. Selective excitation, while sensitive to the main field inhomogeneity, largely eliminated the ghosts (0.21 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.29 +/- 0.06, p less than 0.01). The hybrid of both techniques combined with bandwidth optimization, however, showed the best results (0.17 +/- 0.04, p less than 0.001). Variable flip-angle imaging allows optimization of image contrast which, along with averaging and effective fat suppression, significantly improves gradient- and spin-echo imaging, particularly in the presence of motion.     

Breath-held MR Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using a 3D Dixon fat–water separated balanced steady state free precession sequence

A novel 3D breath-held Dixon fat–water separated balanced steady state free precession (b-SSFP) sequence for MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is described and its potential clinical utility assessed in a series of patients. The main motivation is to develop a robust breath-held alternative to the respiratory gated 3D Fast Spin Echo (FSE) sequence, the current clinical sequence of choice for MRCP. Respiratory gated acquisitions are susceptible to motion artifacts and blurring in patients with significant diaphragmatic drift, erratic respiratory rhythms or sleep apnea. A two point Dixon fat–water separation scheme was developed which eliminates signal loss arising from B₀ inhomogeneity effects and minimizes artifacts from perturbation of the b-SSFP steady state. Preliminary results from qualitative analysis of 49 patients demonstrate robust performance of the 3D Dixon b-SSFP sequence with diagnostic image quality acquired in a 20–24 s breath-hold.     

Fast and high-resolution quantitative mapping of tissue water content with full brain coverage for clinically-driven studies

An efficient method for obtaining longitudinal relaxation time (T1) maps is based on acquiring two spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) images in steady states with different flip angles, which has also been extended, with additional acquisitions, to obtain a tissue water content (M0) map. Several factors, including inhomogeneities of the radio-frequency (RF) fields and low signal-to-noise ratios may negatively affect the accuracy of this method and produce systematic errors in T1 and M0 estimations. Thus far, these limitations have been addressed by using additional measurements and applying suitable corrections; however, the concomitant increase in scan time is undesirable for clinical studies. In this note, a modified dual-acquisition SPGR method based on an optimization of the sequence formulism is presented for good and reliable M0 mapping with an isotropic spatial resolution of 1 × 1 × 1 mm³ that covers the entire human brain in 6:30 min. A combined RF transmit/receive map is estimated from one of the SPGR scans and the optimal flip angles for M0 map are found analytically. The method was successfully evaluated in eight healthy subjects producing mean M0 values of 69.8% (in white matter) and 80.1% (in gray matter) that are in good agreement with those found in the literature and with high reproducibility. The mean value of the resultant voxel-based coefficients-of-variation was 3.6%.     

Slice profile effects in 2D slice-selective MRI of hyperpolarized nuclei

This work explores slice profile effects in 2D slice-selective gradient-echo MRI of hyperpolarized nuclei. Two different sequences were investigated: a Spoiled Gradient Echo sequence with variable flip angle (SPGR-VFA) and a balanced Steady-State Free Precession (SSFP) sequence. It is shown that in SPGR-VFA the distribution of flip angles across the slice present in any realistically shaped radiofrequency (RF) pulse leads to large excess signal from the slice edges in later RF views, which results in an undesired non-constant total transverse magnetization, potentially exceeding the initial value by almost 300% for the last RF pulse. A method to reduce this unwanted effect is demonstrated, based on dynamic scaling of the slice selection gradient. SSFP sequences with small to moderate flip angles (<40°) are also shown to preserve the slice profile better than the most commonly used SPGR sequence with constant flip angle (SPGR-CFA). For higher flip angles, the slice profile in SSFP evolves in a manner similar to SPGR-CFA, with depletion of polarization in the center of the slice.