title: Undersampling k-space using fast progressive 3D trajectories.
abstract: In 3D MRI, sampling k-space with traditional trajectories can be excessively time-consuming. Fast imaging trajectories are used in an attempt to efficiently cover the k-space and reduce the scan time without significantly affecting the image quality. In many applications, further reductions in scan time can be achieved via undersampling of the k-space; however, no clearly optimal method exists. In most 3D trajectories the k-space is divided into regions that are sampled with shots that share a common geometry (e.g., spirals). A different approach is to design trajectories that gradually but uniformly cover the k-space. In the current work, successive shots progressively add sampled regions to the 3D frequency space. By cutting the sequence short, a natural undersampled method is obtained. This can be particularly efficient because in these types of trajectories the contribution of new information by later shots is less significant. In this work the performance of progressive trajectories for different degrees of undersampling is assessed with trajectories based on missile guidance (MG) ideas. The results show that the approach can be efficient in terms of reducing the scan time, and performs better than the stack of spirals (SOS) technique, particularly under nonideal conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiniak
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guesalaga
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mir
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guarini
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Irarrazaval
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018401:Sample Size; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted