A Spiral, Golden Angle SPGR Sequence for Blood Vessel T1 and T2 Measurement

Motivation: Current methods for measuring T1 and T2 in fetal blood are inefficient, which limits their applicability to the largest vessels in late gestation. Goal(s): To develop a faster, more motion-robust sequence for blood T1 and T2 measurement, which can be applied in fetal subjects. Approach: A spiral, spoiled gradient echo sequence (sp-SPGR) was developed to jointly estimate blood T1 and T2 from a single, 12 second scan. sp-SPGR accuracy was validated in adult volunteers by comparison with conventional MOLLI and T2p-bSSFP techniques. Results: The sp-SPGR sequence obtained T1 and T2 estimates consistent with conventional methods in approximately one-fifth the acquisition time. Impact: As a faster, more motion robust sequence for estimating blood T1 and T2, sp-SPGR will support oximetry measurements in the fetal great vessels at earlier gestational age, facilitating more accurate and timely evaluation of fetal hypoxia.