Repetition time and flip angle variation in SPRITE imaging for acquisition time and SAR reduction

Single point imaging methods such as SPRITE are often the technique of choice for imaging fast-relaxing nuclei in solids. Single point imaging sequences based on SPRITE in their conventional form are ill-suited for in vivo applications since the acquisition time is long and the SAR is high. A new sequence design is presented employing variable repetition times and variable flip angles in order to improve the characteristics of SPRITE for in vivo applications. The achievable acquisition time savings as well as SAR reductions and/or SNR increases afforded by this approach were investigated using a resolution phantom as well as PSF simulations. Imaging results in phantoms indicate that acquisition times may be reduced by up to 70% and the SAR may be reduced by 40% without an appreciable loss of image quality.