Theoretical Evaluation of Ultrahigh Field Benefits to Non-Contrast Enhanced Renal Perfusion Imaging Using FAIR-EPI

Xiufeng Li¹, Kamil Ugurbil¹, Gregory J. Metzger¹

Renal ASL perfusion imaging is a well-suited imaging modality for longitudinal evaluation of renal function after transplantation. Although FAIR-EPI renal perfusion imaging has been shown at UHF in healthy volunteers, an analysis of the potential benefits of increasing field strength, taking into account multiple parameters including acquisition details and relaxation times, has not been undertaken to date. Therefore, theoretical simulations of perfusion signal SNR and SNR efficiency were performed for all currently available MRI fields. Particularly, perfusion imaging SNR efficiency at 7T was compared to that at 3T by using typical imaging settings of each field.