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Summary: Multi-Echo Segmented k-space Imaging: An Optimized
Hybrid Sequence for Ultrafast Cardiac Imaging
Scott B. Reeder,1 Ergin Atalar,2 Anthony Z. Faranesh,1 and Elliot R. McVeigh1,2*
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging requires high temporal
resolution to resolve motion and contrast uptake with low total
scan times to avoid breathing artifacts. While spoiled gradient
echo (SPGR) imaging is robust and reproducible, it is relatively
inefficient and requires long breath-holds to acquire high time
resolution movies of the heart. Echo planar imaging (EPI) is
highly efficient with excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) behav-
ior; however, it is particularly difficult to use in the heart because
of its sensitivity to chemical shift, susceptibility, and motion. EPI
may also require reference scans, which are used to measure
hardware delays and phase offsets that cause ghosting arti-
facts; these reference scans are more difficult and less reliable
in the heart. Consequently, a hybrid EPI/SPGR sequence is
proposed for application to rapid cardiac imaging. A detailed
optimization of SNR and echo train length for multi-echo se-
quences is presented. It is shown that significant reductions in
total scan time are possible while maintaining good image
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