R2' Mapping of the Human Kidney Using Navigator Gated, Asymmetric Spin Echo, Multi-Shot EPI

Jon Thacker¹, Huan Tan², Shivraman Giri³, Pottumarthi Vara Prasad²

Renal oxygenation is typically assessed through R2* maps. However, it is well known that R2* is sensitive to physiological changes other than oxygenation. R2* is believed to be made up of two components: R2 and R2. R2 has been assessed as a potentially more specific indicator of oxygenation. Previous work has been done with asymmetric spin echo (ASE) EPI sequences for acquiring R2 maps. These have been limited in spatial resolution and confined to breath-hold acquisitions. We have integrated a navigator gated, ASE segmented EPI sequence for increased resolution and removal of the inherent constraints with breath-hold scans.