Voxel localization for sodium NMR triple-quantum signal; sequence design and test in agarose phantoms and in-vivo rat

The TQTPPI – sequence is a global spectroscopic method, which can be used to study the sodium metabolism of cells in-vitro with the foremost interest in the occurrence of the triple-quantum signal. This spectroscopic analysis could offer precise knowledge of sodium metabolic processes in pathology versus healthy tissue. To address clinical questions, we aim for transferring this method to in-vivo patient acquisitions where the need for a localization arises. Two different localization strategies, which preserve the quantum coherences, were successfully implemented and tested in-vitro and in-vivo on a rat using a 9.4T small-animal scanner.