Optimization of Pulsed Saturation Transfer MR Fingerprinting (ST MRF) Acquisition Using the Cramér–Rao Bound and Sequential Quadratic Programming

ABSTRACT Purpose To develop a method for optimizing pulsed saturation transfer MR fingerprinting (ST MRF) acquisition. Methods The Cramér–Rao bound (CRB) for variance assessment was employed on Bloch–McConnell‐based simulated signals, followed by a numerical sequential quadratic programming optimization and basin‐hopping avoidance of local minima. Validation was performed using L‐arginine phantoms and healthy human volunteers at 3T while restricting the scan time to be less than 40 s. Results The proposed optimization approach resulted in a significantly improved agreement with reference standard values in vivo, compared to baseline non‐optimized protocols (8% lower NRMSE, 7% higher SSIM, and 15% higher Pearson's r value, ). Conclusion The combination of the CRB with sequential quadratic programming and a rapid Bloch–McConnell simulator offers a means for optimizing and accelerating pulsed CEST and semisolid magnetization transfer (MT) MRF acquisition.