Monitoring Temperature using Gradient Echo Imaging at 0.5T

Gradient Echo Proton Resonant Frequency (GRE-PRF) based thermometry, a standard approach to temperature mapping, was assessed at 0.5T. Experiments were performed using a 3 slice GRE acquisition at a resolution of 2x2x5mm and an update rate of 7.7s. Phantom and in-vivo measurements of the temperature stability yielded uncertainties of 0.78°C and 1.48°C respectively. Furthermore, a cooling experiment with the phantom showed excellent agreement to temperature changes simultaneously measured with a temperature probe. All results suggest that GRE-PRF thermometry is feasible at 0.5T.