Saturation pulse design for quantitative myocardial T1 mapping

Quantitative saturation-recovery based T1 mapping sequences are less sensitive to systematic errors than the Modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) technique but require high performance saturation pulses. We propose to optimize adiabatic and pulse train saturation pulses for quantitative T1 mapping to have <1 % absolute residual longitudinal magnetization (|MZ/M0|) over ranges of B0 and B₁ (B1 scale factor) inhomogeneity found at 1. 5 T and 3 T. Design parameters for an adiabatic BIR4-90 pulse were optimized for improved performance within 1. 5 T B0 (±120 Hz) and B₁ (0. 7–1. 0) ranges. Flip angles in hard pulse trains of 3–6 pulses were optimized for 1. 5 T and 3 T, with consideration of T1 values, field inhomogeneities (B0 = ±240 Hz and B₁ =0. 4–1. 2 at 3 T), and maximum achievable B1 field strength. Residual MZ/M0 was simulated and measured experimentally for current standard and optimized saturation pulses in phantoms and in-vivo human studies. T1 maps were acquired at 3 T in human subjects and a swine using a SAturation recovery single-SHot Acquisition (SASHA) technique with a standard 90°-90°-90° and an optimized 6-pulse train. Measured residual MZ/M0 in phantoms had excellent agreement with simulations over a wide range of B0 and B₁. The optimized BIR4-90 reduced the maximum residual |MZ/M0| to <1 %, a 5. 8× reduction compared to a reference BIR4-90. An optimized 3-pulse train achieved a maximum residual |MZ/M0| <1 % for the 1. 5 T optimization range compared to 11. 3 % for a standard 90°-90°-90° pulse train, while a 6-pulse train met this target for the wider 3 T ranges of B0 and B₁. The 6-pulse train demonstrated more uniform saturation across both the myocardium and entire field of view than other saturation pulses in human studies. T1 maps were more spatially homogeneous with 6-pulse train SASHA than the reference 90°-90°-90° SASHA in both human and animal studies. Adiabatic and pulse train saturation pulses optimized for different constraints found at 1. 5 T and 3 T achieved <1 % residual |MZ/M0| in phantom experiments, enabling greater accuracy in quantitative saturation recovery T1 imaging.