Abstract Purpose UTE MR imaging captures quantitative signals in fast‐relaxing tissues, enabling anatomical visualization and quantitative assessment of T 1 and relaxation times. However, the clinical application of quantitative UTE MRI is limited by long acquisition times. Therefore, this study introduces a novel UTE‐based method for T 1 and mapping, achieving submillimeter resolution in less than 10 min. Theory and Methods The method employs a dual‐echo acquisition for fast mapping, augmented by an additional acquisition with different T 1 weighting. This second scan enables the computation of signal ratios between scans with different T 1 ‐weighting. These measured signal ratios are then compared to a lookup table containing distinct ratios, corresponding to discrete T 1 values. The approach was validated in phantom solutions mimicking various T 1 and times and applied in vivo to quantify relaxation times across different knee tissue compartments in healthy individuals. Results The method demonstrated its reliability for T 1 and quantification in rapidly relaxing tissues (1–11 ms). However, it exhibited a tendency to underestimate in skeletal muscle. This limitation arises from the chosen TEs being inadequate to capture slow signal decays. In accordance with the findings of preceding studies, this in vivo study identified three distinct T 1 categories of tissue characterized by short (adipose tissue), moderate (ligaments, tendons, and menisci), and long (skeletal muscle) T 1 values. Conclusion The presented technique for combined T 1 and mapping enables relaxometry in rapidly relaxing tissues, indicating potential for advanced tissue characterization in clinical settings.
Rothe et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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