Resolution enhancement in lung 1H imaging using parallel imaging methods

Resolution in H-1 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 H-1 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 H-1 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. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.