Fast 3D bSSFP Spine Imaging at 0.05 T

Motivation: Ultra-low-field (ULF) MRI presents significant potential for advancing medical imaging by offering portable and cost-effective solutions suitable for point-of-care applications, addressing unmet clinical needs in various health care settings globally. However, highly efficient protocols are required to handle low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and to minimize acquisition time. Goal(s): The implementation of a highly time and SNR efficient protocol for ULF MRI. Approach: A 3D balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) protocol was implemented with partial Fourier sampling for fast imaging. Results: The study successfully implemented a bSSFP protocol at 0.05 T for high-quality C- and L-spine imaging. The acquisition time was within 4 min. Impact: An optimized bSSFP protocol at 0.05 T was successfully implemented and achieved fast C- and L-spine imaging within 4 min. This highlighted the potential of applying high-quality and fast ULF imaging in clinics.