B1 mapping with selective pulses

Abstract

Knowledge of B₁⁺ distribution is crucial for many applications, such as quantitative MRI. A novel method has been developed to improve the accuracy of the conventionally applied double-angle method for B₁⁺ mapping. It solves the remaining issues raised by the use of selective pulses for slice selection to accelerate the acquisition process. A general approach for reconstructing B₁⁺ maps is presented first. It takes B₁⁺-induced slice profile distortions over off-resonance frequencies into account. It is then shown how the ratio between the prescribed flip angles can be adjusted to reach a compromise between the level of noise propagated onto B₁⁺ maps and the width of the range in which the field can be mapped. Lastly, several solutions are proposed for reducing the B₁⁺-dependent pollution of regions distal to the image slice which participates significantly in the inaccuracy of B₁⁺ mapping. These methods were experimentally tested by comparison with gold standard B₁⁺ maps obtained on a phantom using a non-selective and thus much slower technique. As they are independent and lead to significant improvements, these solutions can be combined to achieve high precision and fast B₁⁺ mapping using spin-echo DAM.