Accelerated 2D Cine DENSE for Aortic Strain Imaging: A Preliminary Study

Motivation: Assessing aortic wall mechanics, particularly strain, is essential for understanding individualized vessel function and remodeling. Goal(s): This study aims to enhance the utility of displacement-encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) for aortic strain imaging by reducing acquisition time and improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Approach: We employed zonal excitation to decrease the field-of-view and leveraged random matrix theory (RMT) denoising to enhance SNR. Results: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of these techniques, providing a faster and more accurate method for in vivo aortic strain assessment. Impact: This could significantly impact cardiovascular diagnostics and patient management.