Simultaneous high‐resolution cardiac T1 mapping and cine imaging using model‐based iterative image reconstruction

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 1080 - 1091
• Main Authors: Becker, Kirsten M., Schulz‐Menger, Jeanette, Schaeffter, Tobias, Kolbitsch, Christoph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2019
• Subjects: cine imaging; Data acquisition; Diastole; Heart rate; Image acquisition; Image contrast; Image processing; Image reconstruction; Iterative methods; Mapping; model‐based reconstruction; multiparametric acquisition; myocardial tissue characterization; Spatial discrimination; Spatial resolution; Systole; T1 mapping
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27474

Purpose To provide high‐resolution cardiac T1 mapping of various cardiac phases and cine imaging within a single breath‐hold using continuous golden ratio‐based radial acquisition and model‐based iterative image reconstruction. Methods Data acquisition was performed continuously using golden ratio‐based radial sampling and multiple inversion pulses were applied independent of the heart rate. Native T1 maps of diastole and systole were reconstructed with in‐plane resolution of 1.3 × 1.3 mm2 using model‐based iterative image reconstruction. Cine images with 30 cardiac phases were reconstructed from the same data using kt‐SENSE. The method was evaluated in a commercially available T1 phantom and 10 healthy subjects. In vivo T1 assessment was carried out segment‐wise. Results Evaluation in the phantom demonstrated accurate T1 times (R2 > 0.99) and insensitivity to the heart rate. In vivo T1 values did not differ between systole and diastole, and T1 times assessed by the proposed approach were longer than measured with a modified Look‐Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence, except for lateral segments. Cine images had a consistent dark‐blood contrast and functional assessment was in agreement with assessment based on Cartesian cine scans (difference in ejection fraction: 0.26 ± 2.65%, P = 0.65). Conclusion The proposed approach provides native T1 maps of diastole and systole with high spatial resolution and cine images simultaneously within 16 s, which could strongly improve the scan efficiency.