DREAMER: Rapid, high-resolution, and simultaneous multiple-contrast magnetic resonance imaging of solid and soft tissues

Motivation: Certain clinical cases may warrant both CT and MRI. The two modalities may provide complementary information, but separate scans create a multifaceted and economic burden for the patient and imaging center. Goal(s): To develop a single scan with desirable properties from CT (bone-selective, rapid, and high-resolution) and MRI (multiple soft-tissue contrasts, no ionizing radiation). Approach: DREAMER, a dual-echo UTE sequence combined with a phase-based T2 encoding method, simultaneously encodes bone-selective, T1w, and T2w images in a single acquisition. Results: The sequence is a rapid, high-resolution, and radiation-free method to perform concurrent solid and soft tissue 3D imaging. Impact: DREAMER jointly images solid and soft tissues. The sequence may enable consolidation of CT and MRI demand at imaging centers, thereby decreasing patient examination and wait times, reducing exposure to ionizing radiation, and simplifying the clinical workflow.