Accelerated 3D black blood imaging using quadruple inversion recovery technique
Kohei Yuda1, Takashige Yoshida1, Yuki Furukawa1, Masami Yoneyama2, Seishi Takoi1, and Nobuo Kawauchi3

1Radiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, 2MR Clinical Scientist, Philips Electronics Japan,Ltd, Tokyo, Japan, 3Radiology of division, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

Synopsis

Black blood imaging (BBI) for atherosclerotic plaque compartment usually have evaluated by pre-pulse sequence such as dual inversion recovery(DIR) turbo spin echo (TSE) with cardiac synchronization. This study aimed to evaluate the scan time reduction sequence of zoomed imaging quadruple inversion recovery using VISTA (zQIR-VISTA) in black blood MR imaging of cerebral artery and compare with a conventional VISTA.

Background and purpose

Black blood imaging (BBI) for atherosclerotic plaque compartment usually have evaluated by pre-pulse sequence such as dual inversion recovery(DIR) turbo spin echo (TSE) with cardiac synchronization. It is limitation to need to long scan time and the image coverage. In recently 3D imaging using volume isotropic TSE acquisition (VISTA) is possible to obtain wide coverage BBI without cardiac synchronization. (1) However VISTA is spend long scan time, it cause to decrease image quality by motion such as swallowing and respiratory. Therefore, scan time reduction is necessary to improve image quality for BBI using VISTA. The zoomed imaging quadruple inversion recovery (zQIR) method reducible scan time by twice DIRs pre-pulse using selective excitation. (2)(3) This study aimed to evaluate the scan time reduction sequence of zQIR using VISTA (zQIR-VISTA) in black blood MR imaging of cerebral artery and compare with a conventional VISTA.

Method

Using our institutional review board-approved procedures, 15 volunteers were imaged using a 3.0T Philips MR system and 8channel - head coil. VISTA and zQIR-VISTA sequences were the following parameters : TR/TE (ms) = 575/12, matrix scan=256×192, TSE factor = 12 , refocusing angle = 50deg, fold over direction = RL , RFOV(%)= 25~100 , NSA = 1. The influence to reduce FOV on a conventional and zQIR-VISTA was assessed by handmade phantoms as a basically study. It was evaluated quantity of aliasing artifacts using line profile (Experiment1). The basilar artery (BA) images of 15 volunteers was obtain both a conventional and zQIR-VISTA. These images measured CSF and BA signal intensity (SI) by region of interest, and The SI was calculated contrast ratio (CR=(SICSF-SIBA)/ ( SICSF+SIBA)) (Experiment2).

Results

In the experiment1, a conventional VISTA of aliasing artifact was confirmed in 45% reduced FOV. Meanwhile, the signal intensity on outer FOV with zQIR-VISTA was suppressed, directly aliasing artifacts were disappeared. However, the aliasing artifacts of noise component was confirmed with to set less than 35% FOV. In the experiment2, zQIR-VISTA showed higher CR than a conventional VISTA.

Discussion

The aliasing artifact of small FOV with a conventional VISTA was impossible to removal it. Moreover the aliasing artifact removal techniques such as fold-over suppression increased scan time. However zQIR -VISTA was possible to removal aliasing artifact without increase scan time. The reason was cause to suppress signal intensity on outer FOV by twice selective DIRs pre-pulse. In addition zQIR-VISTA improved CR than a conventional VISTA by the magnetization transfer effect of selective DIRs pre-pulse.

Conclusion

It is possible to provide black blood image decreasing scan time by VISTA using zoom quadruple inversion recovery.

Acknowledgements

No acknowledgement found.

References

1. Masami Yoneyama, Masanobu Nakamura , Takashi Tabuchi , Atsushi Takemura , Makoto Obara Optimization of 3D-variable refocusing flip angle RARE imaging for high-resolution volumetric black-blood angiography. 2. Vasily L. Yarnykh* and Chun Yuan : Simultaneous Outer Volume and Blood Suppression by Quadruple Inversion-Recovery 3.Zoom Imaging for Rapid Aortic Vessel Wall Imaging and Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

Figures

The influence to reduce FOV(25%~100%) on a conventional and zQIR-VISTA was assessed by handmade phantoms as a basically study.

The Line profile of conventional and zQIR-VISTA. A conventional VISTA of aliasing artifact was confirmed in 55% reduced FOV. he signal intensity on outer FOV with zQIR-VISTA was suppressed, directly aliasing artifacts were disappeared.

The basilar artery images of 10 volunteers was obtain both a conventional and zQIR-VISTA.

CSF and BA signal intensity (SI) by region of interest, and The SI was calculated contrast ratio (CR=(SICSF-SIBA)/ ( SICSF+SIBA))



Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 24 (2016)
1457