Non-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography With the t-SLIP Technique

The t-SLIP Investigational Study Sequences are designed to compare t-SLIP to standard MR contrast enhanced imaging techniques to establish the diagnosic benefits of t-SLIP compared to contrast enhanced MR techniques. The t-SLIP Investigational Study Sequences will be used for vascular MRI Imaging including, but no limited to, MRA of the renal, mesenteric, abdominal aortic, iliac and femoral arteries. We will be targeting all adult patients undergoing standard body MRA examinations without anesthesia.

The time spatial labeling inversion pulse (t-SLIP) technique is used for non contrast enhanced MR angiography imaging. It produces bright blood spin labeling images by using a single acquisition with a combination of a spatially nonselective inversion pulse and a spatially selective inversion pulse. The nonselective pulse inverts the magnetization of the entire imaging area. The spatially selective pulse, applied upstream of the arteries of interest, reverts those protons to full magnetization. A pre defined time delay between tagging and imaging allows the tagged spins to reach the imaging region and suppresses background tissue within the imaging region to some extent.