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Cardiac balanced steady-state free precession MRI at 0.35 T: a comparison study with 1.5 T
Shams Rashid1, Fei Han1, Yu Gao1,2
1Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Background:
While low-field MRI is disadvantaged by a reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to higher fields, it has a number of useful features such as decreased SAR and shorter T1, and has shown promise for diagnostic imaging. This study demonstrates the feasibility of cardiac balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) MRI at 0.35 T and compares cardiac bSSFP MRI images at 0.35 T with those at 1.5 T.
Methods:
Cardiac images were acquired in 7 healthy volunteers using an ECG-gated bSSFP cine sequence on a 0.35 T superconducting MR system as well as a clinical 1.5 T system. Blood and myocardium SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were computed. Subjective image scoring was used to compare the image quality between 0.35 and 1.5 T.
Results:
Cardiac images at 0.35 T were successfully acquired in all volunteers. While the 0.35 T images were noisier than those at 1.5 T, blood, myocardium and papillary muscles could be clearly delineated. At 0.35 T, bSSFP images were acquired at flip angles as high as 150°. Maximum CNR was achieved at 130°. Image quality scoring showed that while at lower flip angles, the 0.35 T images had poorer quality than the 1.5 T, but with flip angles of 110 and 130, the image quality at 0.35 T had scores similar to those at 1.5 T.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates that cardiac bSSFP imaging is highly feasible at 0.35 T.
Insights
Low-field cardiac MRI using balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) is feasible at 0.35 T. Image quality at 0.35 T can be comparable to 1.5 T with optimized flip angles.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Cardiovascular MRI
- Low-Field MRI
Background:
- Low-field MRI offers advantages like reduced specific absorption rate (SAR) and shorter T1 relaxation times.
- Despite lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), low-field MRI shows potential for diagnostic imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the feasibility of cardiac balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) MRI at 0.35 T.
- To compare cardiac bSSFP MRI image quality at 0.35 T versus 1.5 T.
Main Methods:
- Cardiac images acquired using ECG-gated bSSFP cine sequence in 7 healthy volunteers.
- Comparison between 0.35 T and 1.5 T superconducting MR systems.
- Quantitative SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) calculation, alongside subjective image quality scoring.
Main Results:
- Successful acquisition of cardiac bSSFP images at 0.35 T in all participants.
- Clear delineation of blood, myocardium, and papillary muscles at 0.35 T, despite higher noise levels compared to 1.5 T.
- Optimal CNR achieved at 130° flip angle, with image quality scores at 110° and 130° comparable to 1.5 T.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac bSSFP imaging is highly feasible at 0.35 T.
- Optimized flip angles can yield comparable image quality to higher field strengths.
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