Simultaneous high‐resolution cardiac T1 mapping and cine imaging using model‐based iterative image reconstruction

Purpose To provide high‐resolution cardiac T 1 mapping of various cardiac phases and cine imaging within a single breath‐hold using continuous golden ratio‐based radial acquisition and model‐based iterative image reconstruction. Methods Data acquisition was performed continuously using golden ratio‐based radial sampling and multiple inversion pulses were applied independent of the heart rate. Native T 1 maps of diastole and systole were reconstructed with in‐plane resolution of 1.3 × 1.3 mm 2 using model‐based iterative image reconstruction. Cine images with 30 cardiac phases were reconstructed from the same data using kt‐SENSE. The method was evaluated in a commercially available T 1 phantom and 10 healthy subjects. In vivo T 1 assessment was carried out segment‐wise. Results Evaluation in the phantom demonstrated accurate T 1 times (R 2 > 0.99) and insensitivity to the heart rate. In vivo T 1 values did not differ between systole and diastole, and T 1 times assessed by the proposed approach were longer than measured with a modified Look‐Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence, except for lateral segments. Cine images had a consistent dark‐blood contrast and functional assessment was in agreement with assessment based on Cartesian cine scans (difference in ejection fraction: 0.26 ± 2.65%, P = 0.65). Conclusion The proposed approach provides native T 1 maps of diastole and systole with high spatial resolution and cine images simultaneously within 16 s, which could strongly improve the scan efficiency.