T1 imaging using phase acquisition of composite echoes

Magn Reson Med. 1999 Feb;41(2):386-91. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1522-2594(199902)41:2<386::aid-mrm24>3.0.co;2-s.

Abstract

A new magnetic resonance method for T1 imaging is presented. It is based on the simultaneous acquisition of a spin echo and a phase-shifted, stimulated echo. The phase of this composite echo image is modulated heavily by the spin-lattice relaxation time T1, whereas spin density and T2 do not influence the phase information. This phase information can be assigned easily to corresponding T1 values. Although this method is sensitive to radiofrequency inhomogenities, phantom studies showed that high precision and reasonable accuracy of T1 determination can be achieved. Moreover, this method was found to be very robust, because no fitting is required. T1 imaging of the human brain was performed to confirm the in vivo utility of this method.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / anatomy & histology*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Phantoms, Imaging