Radial single-shot STEAM MRI.
Rapid MR imaging using the stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) technique yields single-shot images without any sensitivity to resonance offset effects. However, the absence of susceptibility-induced signal voids or geometric distortions is at the expense of a somewhat lower signal-to-noise ratio than EPI. As a consequence, the achievable spatial resolution is limited when using conventional Fourier encoding. To overcome the problem, this study combined single-shot STEAM MRI with radial encoding. This approach exploits the efficient undersampling properties of radial trajectories with use of a previously developed iterative image reconstruction method that compensates for the incomplete data by incorporating a priori knowledge. Experimental results for a phantom and human brain in vivo demonstrate that radial single-shot STEAM MRI may exceed the resolution obtainable by a comparable Cartesian acquisition by a factor of four.
Block
Kai Tobias
KT
Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH am Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Germany. tblock@gwdg.de
Frahm
Jens
J
D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted