Free-breathing self-gated 5D whole-heart CMR at 0.55T: left ventricle, right ventricle, and left atrium function analysis in a single sequence

Motivation: CMR has not seen widespread adoption beyond large urban academic centers. The reasons for this limited uptake include the cost and time-intensive nature of CMR. 5D Free-Running CMR using self-navigation (5D CMR) implemented on a low-field clinical scanner may help bridge this gap. Goal(s): Investigate the feasibility of cardiac function measurements using 5D CMR on a 0.55T system. Approach: 5D CMR data were collected in 10 adult subjects and compared to results from reference 2D cines. Right- and left-ventricular ejection fraction and left atrial volume were ascertained. Results: 5D CMR allowed for time-efficient and concordant measurements when compared to the 2D reference method. Impact: 5D Free-Running whole-heart CMR without the need for ECG, breath-holding, navigators, or complex scan plane planning enables a highly simplified and time-efficient assessment of myocardial function on a 0.55T clinical system in under 8 min.