%0 Journal Article %J Magnetic Resonance in Medicine %D 2005 %T SQUID-detected MRI at 132 mu T with T(1)-weighted contrast established at 10 mu T-300 mT %A Lee, S. K. %A Mossle, M. %A Myers, W. %A Kelso, N. %A Trabesinger, A. H. %A Pines, A. %A Clarke, J. %K dispersion %X

T(1)-weighted contrast MRI with prepolarization was detected with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). A spin evolution period in a variable field between prepolarization and detection enabled the measurement of T(1) in fields between 1.7 muT and 300 mT; T, dispersion curves of agarose gel samples over five decades in frequency were obtained. SQUID detection at 5.6 kHz drastically reduces the field homogeneity requirements compared to conventional field-cycling methods using Faraday coil detection. This allows T(1) dispersion measurements to be easily combined with MRI, so that T(1) in a wide range of fields can be used for tissue contrast. Images of gel phantoms with T(1)-weighted contrast at four different fields between 10 muT and 300 mT demonstrated dramatic contrast enhancement in low fields. A modified inversion recovery technique further enhanced the contrast by selectively suppressing the signal contribution for a specific value of the low-field T(1). Published 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

%B Magnetic Resonance in Medicine %V 53 %P 9-14 %8 Jan %@ 0740-3194 %G English %U ://WOS:000226380700003 %N 1 %M WOS:000226380700003 %! SQUID-detected MRI at 132 mu T with T(1)-weighted contrast established at 10 mu T-300 mT %R Doi 10.1002/Mrm.20316