Fast Interleaved Multislice T1 Mapping: Model-Based Reconstruction of Single-Shot Inversion-Recovery Radial FLASH

Purpose. To develop a high-speed multislice T1 mapping method based on a single-shot inversion-recovery (IR) radial FLASH acquisition and a regularized model-based reconstruction. Methods. Multislice radial k-space data are continuously acquired after a single nonselective inversion pulse using a golden-angle sampling scheme in a spoke-interleaved manner with optimized flip angles. Parameter maps and coil sensitivities of each slice are estimated directly from highly undersampled radial k-space data using a model-based nonlinear inverse reconstruction in conjunction with joint sparsity constraints. The performance of the method has been validated using a numerical and experimental T1 phantom as well as demonstrated for studies of the human brain and liver at 3T. Results. The proposed method allows for 7 simultaneous T1 maps of the brain at 0.5 x 0.5 x 4 mm(3) resolution within a single IR experiment of 4 s duration. Phantom studies confirm similar accuracy and precision as obtained for a single-slice acquisition. For abdominal applications, the proposed method yields three simultaneous T1 maps at 1.25 x 1.25 x 6 mm(3) resolution within a 4 s breath hold. Conclusion. Rapid, robust, accurate, and precise multislice T1 mapping may be achieved by combining the advantages of a model-based nonlinear inverse reconstruction, radial sampling, parallel imaging, and compressed sensing.