Whole-body echo-planar MR imaging at 0.5 T.

The ultra-high-speed echo-planar imaging technique produces instant snapshot magnetic resonance images in exposure times ranging from approximately 10 to 100 msec. A particular variant, the modulus blipped echo-planar single-pulse technique (MBEST), possesses two advantages: First, it makes the technique experimentally more robust; second, it introduces inherent T2 weighting in the images. The authors have used MBEST with an exposure time of 64 msec to explore the potential range of clinical applications in a series of normal volunteers. Applications include evaluation of the heart, renal function, and gastrointestinal tract. All images were obtained with proton resonances at 22 MHz.