Inner-Volume-Imaging Using Three-Dimensional Parallel Excitation

Introduction: Recently, first examples of inner-volume-imaging and motion artifact suppression based on Parallel EXcitation (PEX) have been presented [1]. However, in most PEX based applications, 3D selectivity has been achieved by 2D spatially selective excitation combined with perpendicular 1D slice selective refocusing. Therefore, the necessity of multi pulse sequences and the limitation to slice shaped preparation of the transverse magnetization in one direction prevented the application of PEX with its full potential. To overcome these limitations, this work presents the first experimental realization of 3D parallel spatially selective excitation of arbitrarily shaped regions of interest with very short pulse durations in the order of 5 ms. Such 3D selective pulses allow inner-volume-excitation and -imaging even with single pulse sequences and open up new possibilities for 3D PEX applications.