Auto-SENSE Perfusion Imaging of the Whole Human Heart

Abstract

Purpose: To show the application of auto-sensitivity encoding (SENSE)-a self-calibrating parallel imaging technique-to first pass perfusion imaging of the whole human heart. Materials and Methods: The self-calibrating parallel imaging method auto-SENSE was implemented for a saturation recovery turbo-fast-low-angle shot (FLASH) sequence on a 1.5-T scanner using a standard four-element body phased array coil. By reducing the acquisition time per slice by a factor of two compared to conventional turbo FLASH imaging, the number of imaged slices could be doubled to six to ten with an unchanged temporal resolution of one image per heartbeat. This technique has been tested in eight healthy volunteers for contrast-enhanced heart perfusion imaging. Results: Auto-SENSE heart perfusion imaging with improved coverage of the human heart could be performed successfully in all volunteers. A first quantitative comparison of perfusion values between the auto-SENSE and the non-SENSE techniques shows good agreement. Conclusion: Auto-SENSE allows perfusion imaging of the whole human heart without gaps.