Springer Verlag, Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine, 2(26), p. 239-247
DOI: 10.1007/s10334-012-0333-8
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Object Until now, a three-directional velocity field has mostly been obtained by velocity encoding in three directions, which is very time-consuming and hence not usually used in clinical routine. We show the feasibility of combining in-plane tagging with through-plane tissue phase mapping (TPM) to encode a three-directional velocity field at 3 T with reduced overall acquisition time. Materials and methods Assessment of a three-directional velocity field was performed for 10 healthy volunteers. The motion patterns obtained by use of five different sequences including three-directional TPM, TPM in the through-plane direction, TPM in the through-plane direction with horizontal or vertical tagging lines, and TPM in the through-plane direction combined with a tagging grid were evaluated and compared. Results A three-dimensional velocity field can be obtained in approximately half the acquisition time by combining through-plane TPM with in-plane tagging. Although the velocity information is derived by different means, differences between the information obtained by three-directional TPM encoding and the suggested technique are only minor. Conclusion The combination of tagging and TPM enables assessment of the three-directional velocity field in nearly half the time taken when the conventional three-directional TPM sequence is used.