Fast 3D cardiac extracellular volume mapping and cine imaging via continuous free-breathing acquisition with mid-scan contrast agent injection

Motivation: Three-dimensional cardiac extracellular volume (ECV) mapping and cine imaging are challenging due to respiratory and cardiac motions. Existing ECV mapping methods wait at least 10-minutes after contrast agent administration which increases the total scan time. Goal(s): To develop a time-efficient method for free-breathing 3D cardiac ECV mapping and cine imaging. Approach: Data was acquired continuously using inversion recovery spoiled gradient-echo (IR-SPGR) with mid-scan contrast agent administration. The Linear Tangent Space Alignment (LTSA) model was used for image reconstruction. Results: Three-dimensional cardiac ECV maps and cine images were obtained in a 20-minute free-breathing scan with contrast agent injection in between. Impact: We propose a highly time-efficient, free-breathing 3D cardiac imaging method that integrates ECV mapping and cine imaging in a single scan with mid-scan contrast agent injection.