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Increased sensitivity of 31 P MRSI using direct detection integrated with multi‐echo polarization transfer (DIMEPT)
Author(s) -
Kemp W. J. M.,
Boer V. O.,
Luijten P. R.,
Klomp D. W. J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
nmr in biomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.278
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1099-1492
pISSN - 0952-3480
DOI - 10.1002/nbm.3183
Subject(s) - polarization (electrochemistry) , spins , pulse sequence , nuclear magnetic resonance , physics , chemistry , imaging phantom , flip angle , excitation , optics , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , radiology , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics
Here, we show that the sensitivity of 31 P MRSI of 31 P spins J ‐coupled to protons can be increased by almost a factor of three when compared with an optimal direct detection free induction decay. By direct detection integrated with multi‐echo polarization transfer (DIMEPT), multiple signals from polarization transfer and direct detection can be acquired in one repetition time, with minimal mutual interference, provided that the number of refocusing pulses in the multi‐echo polarization transfer part is even. The DIMEPT sequence was implemented on a 7‐T body scanner and tested on a phantom and on the breasts of five healthy volunteers. The in vivo signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) enhancement for the J ‐coupled phosphomonoesters was 270% when compared with an Ernst angle pulse‐acquire sequence. However, the phosphodiester signals, presumably mainly mobile phospholipids, had T 2 values that were too short to be enhanced. Uncoupled 31 P spins, with sufficiently long T 2 values, such as inorganic phosphate, were SNR enhanced by a factor of 1.9 relative to an Ernst‐angle excitation pulse‐acquire sequence by multi‐echo direct detection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.