Novel method for rapid, simultaneous T1, T2*, and proton density quantification.
An imaging method called "quantification of relaxation times and proton density by twin-echo saturation-recovery turbo-field echo" (QRAPTEST) is presented as a means of quickly determining the longitudinal T(1) and transverse T(2) (*) relaxation time and proton density (PD) within a single sequence. The method also includes an estimation of the B(1) field inhomogeneity. High-resolution images covering large volumes can be achieved within clinically acceptable times of 5-10 min. The range of accuracy for determining T(1), T(2) (*), and PD values is flexible and can be optimized relative to any anticipated values. We validated the experimental results against existing methods, and provide a clinical example in which quantification of the whole brain using 1.5 mm(3) voxels was achieved in less than 8 min.
Warntjes
J B M
JB
Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Dahlqvist
O
O
Lundberg
P
P
D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011522:Protons
D011522:Protons