Abstract #0102
Simultaneous 19F and 1H imaging on a clinical 3T MR scanner
Keupp J, Schaeffter T, Grlin I, Mazurkewitz P
Philips Research Laboratories
19F MRI has been identified as ideal for detection and tracking of drugs, reporter molecules or nano-particles for molecular imaging. As there is no 19F signal from biological tissue, only signal from exogenous contrast agents is displayed. For diagnostic localization, an anatomical proton image is required, which so far needs additional imaging time. An imaging system is presented, which allows simultaneous acquisition of 1H and 19F images. The associated imaging sequence employs concurrent dual-frequency RF pulses and acquisition windows. It is validated in a phantom study on a modified clinical 3T whole-body MR system using a double-tuned solenoid transmit/receive coil.