Abstract #1311

Improved Fat Signal Suppression for Coronary MRA at 3T Using a Water-Selective Adiabatic T2-Prep Technique

Andrew J. Coristine¹,², Ruud B. van Heeswijk,²³, Matthias Stuber,²³

¹CIBM-CVMR, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois , Lausanne, VD, Switzerland; ²FBM, Universit de Lausanne, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland; ³CIBM-CVMR, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, VD, Switzerland

At high field, B₀ and B₁ inhomogeneities may complicate fat saturation strategies, such as CHEmically Selective Saturation (CHESS) pulses, which are dependant on precise excitation angles and precessional frequencies. These fat saturation pulses, which are necessary for unambiguous visualization of cardiac anatomy, are often used in conjunction with magnetization preparation modules, such as T₂ Preparation (or T₂-Prep), to improve blood/myocardium contrast. By modifying an adiabatic T₂-Prep to be water-selective, off-resonance frequencies can be suppressed - adding an intrinsic fat signal attenuation that is less sensitive to B₀ and B₁ inhomogeneities - while preserving the T₂-Prep's added contrast. Numerical simulations, phantom validation, and initial in vivo results are presented.