Transient Balanced SSFP Imaging with Increased Signal by Variable Flip Angles

Pauline W. Worters¹, Brian A. Hargreaves¹

This work presents a method for calculating variable flip angles for balanced (or fully refocused) steady state free precession (bSSFP) acquisition to generate echoes at predefined amplitudes. The main advantage is to allow for transient stage imaging with minimal artifacts and with increased signal. The variable flip angle calculation was applied to provide temporally uniform echo amplitudes. A non-contrast enhanced MRA acquisition, inflow inversion recovery (IFIR) bSSFP, was used to demonstrate the method; the resulting angiograms show improved signal and small vessel depiction.