Anthony N. Price1, Shaihan J. Malik1, Kathryn M. Broadhouse1, Anna Finnemore1, Giuliana Durighel1, David J. Cox1, David Edwards1, Alan M. Groves1, Jo V. Hajnal1
1Robert Steiner MRI Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
Balanced-SSFP has become a key tool for assessing cardiac function. However, the characteristic dark bands are a major problem, especially in the blood-pool. Reliable and accurate shimming is essential: as is optimum and stable frequency selection. In adult CMR, these issues are rarely a prohibitive problem. In neonatal CMR increased resolution demands, faster heart rates, low SNR, and the need to allow free-breathing, lead to longer acquisition times. Consequently, scanner frequency can no longer be assumed stable. Here we present methods for reliable B0 shimming and also active stabilisation of the scanner frequency drift during bSSFP scanning in neonatal CMR.
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