Fast Imaging Sequence For Free-Breathing Planning in Cardiac Imaging

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for assessing global and regional function of the heart; such as the analysis of ejection fraction, ventricular volumes, and quantification of myocardial wall-motion [1]. However, the initial planning step required to localize the heart principal axes is time consuming and requires at three or four breath-holds in order to get to the first targeted slices. In this work, we propose a fast black-blood pulse sequence which requires a scan duration of one heartbeat. Methods: Pulse Sequence: Based on the modified STEAM sequence proposed in [2], Fig. 1 shows a diagram for the proposed sequence. First, modulation pulses are applied upon the detection of the QRS complex of the electrocardiogram (ECG). Then images are acquired at a demodulation frequency equal to the original one. This results in