MULTISLICE, BREATHHOLD IMAGING OF THE LUNG WITH SUBMILLISECOND ECHO TIMES

The signal from the lungs is heavily attenuated by T-2 and T-2* decay in standard MR images of the thorax. The authors utilized the capabilities of a prototype fast gradient system to develop a multi-slice gradient echo sequence that can obtain images with an echo time of 0.7 ms. Images acquired in a single breath-hold are free from respiratory motion artifacts and clearly display signal from lung parenchyma. The use of fast gradients makes short echo times possible without the use of nonstandard RF pulses and spatial encoding techniques and their associated limitations.