Fast and accurate measurements of T1 using a multi-readout single inversion-recovery sequence

TOMROP is a multiple readout single inversion-recovery sequence which may potentially allow the measurement of multi-exponential T1 recoveries in vivo by NMR imaging. It is shown that several important modifications must be made to this sequence to permit T1 to be measured accurately and reliably. With these modifications it is possible to measure T1 with a mean systematic error of -1.5% (-0.3% for samples with T1 greater than 300 ms), a mean accuracy of 3.1% (2.1% for samples with T1 greater than 300 ms) and a mean repeatability of 1.4% (1.4% for samples with T1 greater than 300 ms), using data collected in 6.4 min from sixteen 128 x 128 matrix images.