Black-Blood Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging using Stimulated Echo Acquisition Mode : Pulse Sequence Development

Abstract: Doppler echocardiography is the conventional method for measurement of myocardial motion. However, the same clinical parameters can be measured with phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Suppression of the blood signal with black-blood methods can reduce flow-related artifacts that may affect quantitative measurements with phase contrast MRI. Conventional blood suppression techniques are not time efficient and a potential approach to achieve the black-blood effect in phase contrast imaging is through application of stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM). This thesis describes the development of a pulse sequence where a STEAM-based preparation was combined with conventional phase contrast imaging to achieve a black-blood effect in the produced images.The results of the performed imaging experiments showed that black-blood contrast was achieved with the proposed pulse sequence, and the blood suppression was also maintained during the cardiac cycle. Myocardial tissue velocity measurement with the suggested approach showed good agreement with conventional phase contrast imaging. It was concluded that black-blood phase contrast imaging can be achieved through the application of a STEAM-based preparation.