Theoretical and Practical Investigation of Acoustic Noise Level Reduction in Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling

Magdalena Sokolska¹, Aaron Oliver-Taylor¹, Xavier Golay², David Thomas¹

Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive imaging technique for quantifying blood perfusion in tissue. Pseudo-continuous ASL has recently emerged as the method of choice. However, concern has been raised about acoustic noise levels experienced by patients undergoing pCASL scans, leading to patient discomfort. This is especially a concern in imaging unsedated infants or elderly patients, where exposure to long lasting acoustic noise can increase patient unease in the scanner. This study investigates the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) produced by the pCASL sequence and how it can be reduced without significantly changing the inversion efficiency.