Towards whole-heart quantitative myocardial perfusion using dual-saturation and multiband acceleration

Motivation: Quantitative myocardial perfusion is limited to capturing 3 slices per heartbeat. This limitation highlights the need to increase the number of slices, aiming for full left ventricular coverage with absolute myocardial blood flow quantification. Goal(s): To integrate quantitative perfusion imaging with simultaneous multi-slice (or multiband) excitation. Approach: Multiband was integrated into an existing dual-saturation perfusion sequence. In-vivo experiments in healthy sedated pigs were conducted to evaluate the reliability of the technique under rest conditions. Results: Combining dual-saturation sequences with multiband is feasible. The number of slices acquired with multiband was duplicated relative to gold standard. Myocardial Blood flow values were comparable and reproducible. Impact: Combining quantitative perfusion imaging with multiband techniques expands myocardial coverage while ensuring precise blood flow quantitative measurements. This integration represents a significant advancement in potentially enhancing diagnostic capabilities in cardiovascular imaging.