System and Method for Free-Breathing Quantitative Multiparametric MRI

A method for quantifying a plurality of magnet resonance (MR) parameters using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the method comprising:

• acquiring, using the MRI system, a set of magnetic resonance (MR) data from a region of interest of a subject by performing a variable-flip-angle multi-echo gradient-echo 3D stack-of-radial pulse sequence, wherein the pulse sequence is configured to acquire radial k-space data in a plurality of segments, each segment acquired with each of a plurality of flip angles;
• generating a plurality of quantitative parameter maps for each of the plurality of MR parameters based on the set of MR data;
• and
• displaying plurality of quantitative parameter maps for each of the plurality of MR parameters.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• a magnet system configured to generate a polarizing magnetic field about at least a portion of a subject;
• a magnetic gradient system including a plurality of magnetic gradient coils configured to apply at least one magnetic gradient field to the polarizing magnetic field;
• a radio frequency (RF) system configured to apply an RF field to the subject and to receive magnetic resonance signals from the subject using a coil array;
• and
• a computer system programmed to:
• acquire a set of magnetic resonance (MR) data from a region of interest of a subject by performing a variable-flip-angle multi-echo gradient-echo 3D stack-of-radial pulse sequence, wherein the pulse sequence is configured to acquire radial k-space data in a plurality of segments, each segment acquired with each of a plurality of flip angles;
• generate at least one T1 map based on the set of MR data;
• generate at least one PRF temperature map based on the set of MR data;
• generate at least one T1-based temperature map based on the set of MR data;
• and
• display the PRF temperature map and the T1-based temperature map.

A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:

• a magnet system configured to generate a polarizing magnetic field about at least a portion of a subject;
• a magnetic gradient system including a plurality of magnetic gradient coils configured to apply at least one magnetic gradient field to the polarizing magnetic field;
• a radio frequency (RF) system configured to apply an RF field to the subject and to receive magnetic resonance signals from the subject using a coil array;
• and
• a computer system programmed to:
• acquire a set of magnetic resonance (MR) data from a region of interest of a subject by performing a variable-flip-angle multi-echo gradient-echo 3D stack-of-radial pulse sequence, wherein the pulse sequence is configured to acquire radial k-space data in a plurality of segments, each segment acquired with each of a plurality of flip angles;
• generate a plurality of quantitative parameter maps for each of the plurality of MR parameters based on the set of MR data;
• and
• display plurality of quantitative parameter maps for each of the plurality of MR parameters.