3D joint bright blood and black blood imaging technique for multi-parametric imaging of carotid artery: feasibility and clinical application

Motivation: Bright blood images can clearly depict CA, further guaranteeing the accuracy of quantitative value. Black and bright blood imaging based multi-contrast imaging and multi-parametric imaging can comprehensively characterize vulnerable plaques. Goal(s): This study aims to develop a joint bright and black blood imaging technique for T1, T2 and T2* estimation. Approach: VFA, ViMSDE and VTE mapping framework was optimized to generate varying T1, T2 and T2* contrast as well as different blood and vessel wall contrasts. Results: Great agreement was achieved in phantom and volunteer study. Plaque components exhibited distinctive signal characteristics and quantitative values in clinical study, indicating its potential clinical application. Impact: This work provides a potential qualitative and quantitative carotid artery imaging technique from multi-contrast imaging to multi-paramertic imaging, abundant information can be derived from this set of images.