Repeatability of Ventilation Mapping from Free-Breathing 1H 3D UTE MRI: Comparison with 2D PREFUL in Healthy Volunteers

Motivation: Hyperpolarised gas MRI, a sensitive method for imaging lung ventilation, requires specialised personnel and costly equipment. Free-breathing 1H-MRI alternatives can require complex processing, and their repeatability is not well-established. Goal(s): This study aimed to develop a simple, 2-Phase 3D 1H UTE MRI ventilation imaging approach and evaluate its repeatability compared to PREFUL and MoCoLoR. Approach: We assessed the repeatability of our 2-Phase method, PREFUL and MoCoLoR, in seven healthy volunteers scanned twice, one week apart. Results: The repeatability of each technique was moderate. Our 2-Phase technique shows comparable repeatability to PREFUL and MoCoLoR, providing a potentially simple alternative. Impact: This study reports a straightforward 2-Phase approach for mapping ventilation using free-breathing UTE 1H-MRI, while also providing valuable insights into the repeatability of existing 1H-MRI-based approaches like PREFUL and MoCoLoR.