Ultrafast simultaneous T2 and T2* mapping in 150 ms using non-Cartesian single-shot SPEN MRI

Motivation: T2 and T2* mapping can quantitatively characterize tissue pathologies, improving diagnosis and treatment, but their clinical applications are hindered by relatively long scan times. Goal(s): To develop an ultrafast method for simultaneously obtaining T2 and T2* mapping. Approach: A biaxial spatiotemporally encoded (SPEN) sequence with multi-spin-echo trains and spiral out-in-out-in trajectory was developed to obtain multiple images with different echo times within a single shot. The acquired signal was fitted to yield simultaneous T2 and T2* mapping. Results: Numerical simulations and in vivo rat brain and kidney experiments were conducted to validate the proposed method. Impact: We developed an ultrafast technique to simultaneously obtain T2 and T2* mapping in 150 ms, potentially facilitating the use of T2 and T2* mapping in scenarios requiring high time resolution.