Accelerating sequences one by one results in shorter exams
Dr. Sartoretti remembers how Compressed SENSE immediately impressed her in the first scans. “Our first sequence with Compressed SENSE was a 3D FLAIR in the brain on the Ingenia 1.5T, where we used a Compressed SENSE factor of 8.2. Then we tried a 3D TSE mDIXON post-contrast sequence with a CS factor of 7. In both cases the quality was really good.”
In the neuroradiology area, Dr. Sartoretti initially focused on using Compressed SENSE in 3D imaging. “We use it now for 3D FLAIR, 3D DIR, 3D T1 TFE, 3D mDIXON T1 TFE, 3D TOF, 3D PCA and also for SWIp and 3D T1 Black Blood. We decided to first concentrate on 3D because of the large effect with 3D sequences, but of course we also want to try it with 2D sequences.”
Examples that Dr. Sartoretti mentions to particularly stand out are the venography with 3D PC that is 50% faster, and also the 3D T1 TFE without contrast, where speed was increased by 50%. Their TOF sequences were accelerated by 40%.
“Our aim for the spine is to use Compressed SENSE to help us make the switch to using 3D SpineVIEW. In lumbar spine, for example, we can reduce scan time for 3D T2W SpineVIEW by 27% to 4:46 minutes, voxel size 0.8 x 0.8 x 1 mm."
“In the end, we would like to just perform a 3D T2W, and 3D T1W, and a STIR T2W for cervical and lumbar spine imaging, and then do secondary reconstructions. That’s why we need high resolution for the 3D sequences, and combining with Compressed SENSE then helps to reduce scan time. In this way, replacing the 2D sequences with 3D sequences is much better for the patient, because we can reduce the time of the scan. Another advantage is that if sometimes a scan is not done properly, we have more freedom to do reconstructions afterwards with the 3D sequences and still make a confident diagnosis from the exam.”