Duty cycle is the time during which the gradient system can be run at maximum power. The duty cycle is based on the total time and includes the cool down phase. The duty cycle on the RF pulse during MRI is restricted based on the specific absorption rate (SAR) limit. SAR limits restrict radio frequency heating effects. The specific absorption rate increases with field strength, radio frequency power and duty cycle, type of the transmitter coil and body size. The especially in high and ultrahigh magnetic fields, important SAR issue can be readily addressed by reducing the RF duty cycle due to longer repetition times (TR) and the use of parallel imaging techniques. A TR longer than the minimum needed provides time for the tissue to cool down, but for the cost of a longer scan time. A parallel imaging technique reduces the RF exposure and the scan time.
(GRAPPA) GRAPPA is a parallel imaging technique to speed up MRI pulse sequences. The Fourier plane of the image is reconstructed from the frequency signals of each coil (reconstruction in the frequency domain).
Parallel imaging techniques like GRAPPA, auto-SMASH and VD-AUTO-SMASH are second and third generation algorithms using k-spaceundersampling. A model from a part of the center of k-space is acquired, to find the coefficients of the signals from each coil element, and to reconstruct the missing intermediary lines. The acquisition of these additional lines is a form of self-calibration, which lengthens the overall short scan time. The acquisition of these k-space lines provides mapping of the whole field as well as data for the image contrast.
Algorithms of the GRAPPA type work better than the SENSE type in heterogeneous body parts like thoracic or abdominal imaging, or in pulse sequences like echo planar imaging. This is caused by differences between the sensitivity map and the pulse sequence (e.g. artifacts) or an unreliable sensitivity map.
Lung imaging is furthermore a challenge in MRI because of the predominance of air within the lungs and associated susceptibility issues as well as low signal to noise of the inflated lung parenchyma. Cardiac and respiratory triggered or breath hold sequences allow diagnostic imaging, however a comparable image quality with computed tomography is still difficult to achieve.
Assumptions for lung MRI:
Very short transverse relaxation times and significant diffusion yielding short T2 (30-70 msec), short T2* (1-3 msec), and additional long T1 relaxation times (1300-1500 msec).
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The extreme short T2 values are responsible for a fast signal decay during a single shot readout, resulting in blurring.
(ASSET) ASSET is a parallel imaging technique of the SENSE type (image domain reconstruction). Each coil element is sensitivity encoded and the covered spatial zone is mapped. By reducing the field of view in the phase encoding gradient direction the scan time decreases, but this images of each coil element contain foldover artifacts. The sensitivity profiles of the elements are used to calculate unfolded images.
Breath hold imaging in MRI is a technique with one ore more stoppage of breathing during the sequence and require therefore a short scan time. Breath hold techniques are used with fast gradient echosequences in thoracic or abdominal regions with much respiratory movement.
Breath hold cineMRI techniques are used in cardiovascular imaging and provide detailed views of the beating heart in different cardiac axes.
Breath hold imaging requires the full cooperation of the patient, caused by usual MRI scan times from 15 to 20 sec.. In some cases breath holding can be practiced outside the MRI scanner to improve patient cooperation with the examination. Shorter scan times e.g. by parallel imaging techniques, or the administration of oxygen can help the patient to hold the breath during the scan. See also Abdominal Imaging.