title: Auto-SENSE perfusion imaging of the whole human heart.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To show the application of auto-sensitivity encoding (SENSE)-a self-calibrating parallel imaging technique-to first pass perfusion imaging of the whole human heart.
  
  
  METHODS
  The self-calibrating parallel imaging method auto-SENSE was implemented for a saturation recovery turbo-fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequence on a 1.5-T scanner using a standard four-element body phased array coil. By reducing the acquisition time per slice by a factor of two compared to conventional turbo FLASH imaging, the number of imaged slices could be doubled to six to ten with an unchanged temporal resolution of one image per heartbeat. This technique has been tested in eight healthy volunteers for contrast-enhanced heart perfusion imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Auto-SENSE heart perfusion imaging with improved coverage of the human heart could be performed successfully in all volunteers. A first quantitative comparison of perfusion values between the auto-SENSE and the non-SENSE techniques shows good agreement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auto-SENSE allows perfusion imaging of the whole human heart without gaps.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Röntgendiagnostik, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider Str. 2 - Bau 24, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. koestler@roentgen.uni-wuertzburg.de
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köstler
authors.forename: Jörn J W
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sandstede
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lipke
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Landschütz
authors.forename: Meinrad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Dietbert
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*