Pushing the Limit - MRI of the Lung Using Hyperpolarized 3-Helium in Conjunction with Parallel Imaging

摘要

Imaging of the lung with hyperpolarized ~3He became a well known technique in the last decade. Being able to image ventilation and the microstructure of the lung an increase of SNR and a shortage of scan time is eligible. By using a 32-channel phased array the sensitivity was increased dramatically. High resolution 2D-images with a resolution of 1 x 1 mm2 having a 3 mm slice was realized, showing highly detailed images of the lung. By applying parallel imaging techniques the SNR could be increased and scan time was reduced drastically by using a 2D acceleration of R = 4 x 2 with a 3D-protocol covering the whole lung.