A New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Method for 2 Tissue Suppression: Double Tissue Suppression With Multiecho Acquisition and Single Inversion Time Combining High-Intensity Reduction (DOMUST-HIRE)

Abstract

Introduction 

The fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) method is one of the most important magnetic resonance imaging techniques for the brain, and the high-intensity reduction (HIRE) method is an imaging technique to obtain cerebrospinal fluid suppression images by subtracting long echo time images from short echo time images. In contrast, the double inversion recovery technique suppresses 2 types of tissue signals with different T1 values by applying 2 inversion recovery pulses with different inversion times. However, the double inversion recovery method requires the setting of 2 inversion times in a sequence; thus, its use is limited to relatively high-specification equipment. Here, we propose a new sequence called double tissue suppression with multiecho acquisition and single inversion time combining high-intensity reduction (DOMUST-HIRE) that suppresses the 2 tissues by adding single inversion recovery pulses to a sequence based on the HIRE method.

Methods 

In this small clinical study, we performed physical evaluation by imaging a subject's head with FLAIR and DOMUST-HIRE method.

Results 

The DOMUST-HIRE method can increase the contrast ratio and the contrast-to-noise ratio between white matter (WM) and gray matter, whereas the signal-to-noise ratio between WM and gray matter decreased than with FLAIR method.

Conclusions 

The DOMUST-HIRE method can be used to suppress WM and cerebrospinal fluid signals.