Non-Selective Double Inversion Recovery Pre-Pulse for Flow-Independent Black Blood Myocardial Viability Imaging

Sarah Anne Peel¹, Christian Jansen¹, Geraint Morton¹, Simon Duckett¹, Tobias Schaeffter¹, Ren M. Botnar¹

MRI late gadolinium enhancement using the inversion-recovery sequence is the current gold standard for the assessment of myocardial viability. Although it achieves high contrast between infarct and normal myocardium, there is often poor infarct-to-blood contrast. We sought to improve infarct-to-blood contrast using a novel non-selective double inversion technique that provides flow-independent signal suppression over a wide user-defined T1-range. Simulations and phantom studies demonstrate excellent tissue suppression over a wide T1-range. Preliminary patient data show an improvement in infarct-to-blood CNR. This technique facilitates detection of sub-endocardial defects and has potential for more accurate quantification of infarct size and transmurality.