A robust broadband fat -suppressing phaser T2-preparation module for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 3T

Purpose: Designing a new T2 -preparation (T2 -Prep) module to simultaneously provide robust fat suppression and efficient T2 preparation without requiring an additional fat -suppression module for T2 -weighted imaging at 3T. Methods: The tip -down radiofrequency (RF) pulse of an adiabatic T2 -Prep module was replaced by a custom-designed RE-excitation pulse that induces a phase difference between water and fat, resulting in a simultaneous T2 preparation of water signals and the suppression of fat signals at the end of the module (a phaser adiabatic T, -Prep). Numerical simulations and in vitro and in vivo electrocardiogram (ECG) triggered navigator -gated acquisitions of the human heart were performed. Blood, myocardium, and fat signal-to-noise ratios and right coronary artery vessel sharpness were compared against previously published adiabatic 1'2 -Prep approaches. Results: Numerical simulations predicted an increased fat-suppression bandwidth and decreased sensitivity to transmit magnetic field inhomogeneities using the proposed approach while preserving the water T2 -Prep capabilities. This was confirmed by the tissue signals acquired in the phantom and the in vivo images, which show similar blood and myocardium signal-to-noise ratio, contrast -to -noise ratio, and significantly reduced fat signal-to-noise ratio compared with the other methods. As a result, the right coronary artery conspicuity was significantly increased. Conclusion: A novel fat -suppressing T2 -Prep method was developed and implemented that showed robust fat suppression and increased vessel sharpness compared with conventional techniques while preserving its T2 -Prep capabilities.