Introduction of Sample Interval Modulation for the Simultaneous Acquisition of 3D Displacement Data in MR Elastography

Dieter Klatt¹, Temel Kaya Yasar², Thomas J. Royston¹, Richard L. Magin¹

Sampling interval modulation (SLIM)-MRE is introduced as new recipe for the arrangement of the motion encoding gradients (MEG). SLIM-MRE is independent of the type of MRE sequence and enables complete acquisition of 3D displacements of a monofrequency vibration within a single temporally-resolved MRE experiment. The displacement components are sampled using different time intervals and, in doing so, they are encoded as different apparent frequencies in the MRE signal phase. Thus, all three spatial components are stored in the same k-space and can be decomposed from eight temporally-resolved MRE experiments instead of 12-24 experiments, as is commonly performed in conventional MRE.