Edzer Lienson Wu1,2, Jyh-Horng Chen2,3, Tzi-Dar Chiueh3
1Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Interdiciplinary MRI/MRS Lab, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
We propose a new paradigm of MRI acceleration using the frequency multiplexing technique in modern communication technology; we name it Wideband MRI. A major component of wideband MRI is frequency multiplexing of MR signals. Using simultaneous multi-slice RF excitation pulses centered at different frequencies followed by simultaneous multi-slice acquisition during readout, the total scan time of a subject can be significantly reduced using existing hardware. Mathematical model and experimental results explain Wideband MRI image quality and serves as a criterion to evaluate the tradeoff between imaging speed and image quality in future applications.