An optimized multislice acquisition sequence for the inversion-recovery MR imaging.

An optimized multislice data acquisition scheme for inversion-recovery MR imaging is proposed and experimental results are presented. In this new scheme, instead of forming a set of multislice inversion-recovery sequences in series for a given phase encoding step, 180 degrees inversion pulses corresponding to different slices are interwoven with the spin echo data acquisition sequence in an optimal way depending on the desired inversion-recovery time. For example, between the 180 degrees inversion RF pulse and the spin-echo imaging sequence, a number of imaging and inversion sequences are inserted with different slice combinations, i.e., long inversion-recovery time is effectively utilized for the other slice pre-inversion and data acquisition. With the optimized sequence, imaging time has been reduced by as much as a factor of four compared with the existing methods.