Systematic assessment and evaluation of sliding interleaved k y (SLINKY) acquisition for 3D MRA

In comparison with the conventional three‐dimensional multiple overlapped thin slab acquisition (MOTSA) for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), we have developed a novel sliding interleaved k y (SLINKY) acquisition technique, which can eliminate the slab boundary artifact (SBA) or venetian blind artifact without any a priori knowledge of blood flow. This work addresses the systematic assessment and evaluation of the SLINKY technique and verifies the advantages of SLINKY in the following several aspects: ( a ) scan time efficiency; ( b ) signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), and signal‐difference‐to‐noise ratio (SDNR); ( c ) sensitivity to flow velocity range; ( d ) sensitivity to flow direction; ( e ) signal loss in slow/reversal flow regions; and ( f ) reconstruction efficiency and feasibility. Both phantom and in vivo experiments verify the clinical significance of the technique. The new MRA images acquired with this imaging technique in 31 volunteer/patient examinations show highly reliable mapping of vascular morphology without the SBA and reduction of signal voids in complex/slow flow regions.