3D-snapshot flash NMR imaging of the human heart

SNAPSHOT-FLASH is a recently developed, ultrafast imaging technique, based on conventional FLASH imaging. The application of this new variant to 3D imaging allows the acquisition of a 128 x 128 x 32 data set in 12.5 seconds without triggering, or for cardiac imaging with gating within 32 heartbeats. Compared to standard 3D-FLASH this is 128 times faster, because triggering is only required when the 3D phase-encoding gradient is incremented. The method depicts for the first time fast three-dimensional views of the human heart without motional artifacts. The images are spin-density weighted. Using suitable prepulses any desired T1- or T2-contrast may be achieved. The generation of 3D movies is possible without an increase of the total scan time.