Simultaneous 3D B1 and T1 Mapping Using the New Method of Slopes (MoS)

Sofia Chavez¹, Greg Stanisz^1,2

A new 3D method for simultaneous B1 and T1 mapping is presented. It relies on the quasi-linear relationship between the measured SPGR signal and nominal flip angle near the origin and near the signal null. The B1 mapping estimation is similar to that already existing in the literature with a more practical implementation requiring flip angles < 180 which are readily available on most scanners. The B1 mapping data with an additional acquisition of the SPGR signal at a low flip angle allows for the proposed T1 mapping. MoS yields accurate T1 values (within 10% of IR esimates) for an entire brain volume in ~12 min.