TIME-RESOLVED MR-IMAGING BY AUTOMATIC DATA SEGMENTATION

A method for time-resolved imaging that provides a flexible trade-off between imaging time and temporal resolution is presented. It is based on a view order selection technique that automatically segments the a cquired raw data into appropriate temporal frames. When used with card iac monitoring and phase-contrast imaging, data similar to that obtain ed with a conventional gated phase-contrast sequence are acquired rapi dily. For many applications, the temporal resolution can be reduced en ough to permit imaging within a breath-hold interval, while still allo wing accurate time-averaged flow quantitation. This is a general techn ique that can be implemented within a variety of pulse sequences and c an resolve other motion cycles, including the respiratory cycle.