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Abstract #3029

Banding Artifact Reduction in 2D CINE Balanced SSFP at 3.0 T Using Phase-Cycling and k-T BLAST

Ute Kremer1, Fabian Hezel2, Gabriele A. Krombach1, Thoralf Niendorf2,3

1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; 2Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility, Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany; 3Charit, University Medicine, Berlin, Germany


This work proposes to combine phase-cycled bSSFP with k-t BLAST to overcome the scan time penalty of multiple-acquisition bSSFP while still eliminating off-resonance induced banding artifacts at 3.0 T. Acquisitions were conducted using four-fold accelerated k-t BLAST and three phase-cycles. For comparison conventional bSSFP was obtained and endocardial border sharpness (EBS) assessment was performed. In theory omitting one of the four standard phase-cycles disturbs the off-resonance profile's flatness, however for in vivo imaging it yielded excellent banding reduction and improved the mean EBS. Accelerated, phase-cycled bSSFP imaging promises to extend the capabilities of routine CINE imaging at (ultra)high fields.