Abstract #2336

Improved Image Contrast and Scan Efficiency for Fat Suppressed T1-Weighted Imaging at 3T with a Spin Echo Two-Point Dixon Technique

Jingfei Ma¹, Ken-Pin Hwang², Ashok Kumar³, Lawrence Ginsberg³

¹Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States; ²Applied Science Lab, GE Healthcare Technologies, Houston, TX, United States; ³Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States

Inclusion of fat suppress (FS) pulses in a spin echo acquisition substantially reduces scan efficiency. At 3 Tesla, the incidental magnetization transfer and dielectric effects from the FS pulses also degrade the image contrast and image uniformity. In this study, we developed a spin echo two-point Dixon technique for fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging. In comparison to the conventional spin echo with FS pulses, we demonstrated in vivo that the new technique was 40% more efficient and had much better image contrast, better FS and overall image uniformity for fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging of head & neck at 3 Tesla.