Resolution enhancement in lung 1 H imaging using parallel imaging methods

Resolution in 1 H lung imaging is limited mainly by the acquisition time. Today, half‐Fourier acquisition single‐shot turbo spin‐echo (HASTE) sequences, with short echo time (TE) and short interecho spacing (T inter ) have found increased use in lung imaging. In this study, a HASTE sequence was used in combination with a partially parallel acquisition (PPA) strategy to increase the spatial resolution in single‐shot 1 H lung imaging. To investigate the benefits of using a combination of single‐shot sequences and PPA, five healthy volunteers were examined. Compared to conventional imaging methods, substantially increased resolution is obtained using the PPA approach. Representative in vivo 1 H lung images acquired with a HASTE sequence in combination with the generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) method, up to an acceleration factor of three, are presented. Magn Reson Med 49:391–394, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.