The inhomogeneous B1 field at higher main fields (B0) becomes more serious, leading to unsatisfactory MR image quality. To improve the signal homogeneity of routinely used T1-weighted image, usually acquired by a well-known sequence, Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MPRAGE), a new pulse sequence, Magnetization Prepared 2 Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echoes (MP2RAGE), was proposed in 2009. This technique acquires two sets of high-resolution three- dimentional images at different inversion times after a series of inversion pulses. After any of two simple calculations of the raw images (Ratio or MP2RAGE reconstruction), the output volume was obtained with dramatically reduced spatial inhomogenuity of MR signal. In this study, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) optimation at 3 T was implemented independently to reproduce the previous results of other group. After that, the simulation of scanning parameters was done to optimize CNR of brain tissue at 1.5 T according to different encoding methods, different pulse sequences, and different reconstruction algorithms. Phantom and human experiments were carried on a 1.5 T scanner for further validation. The results of phantom experiment showed that both MP2RAGE and Ratio reconstructions can achiever better B1 homogeneity than MPRAGE, even with the vendor-equipped correction packages, SCIC and PURE. In addition, the agreement was made between simulation and in-vivo imaging that MP2RAGE provides higher CNR than Ratio when centric encoding also outduels linear encoding.

Cette étude cherche à évaluer le Débit de la Filtration Glomérulaire (DFG) dans le rein humain par IRM. L'estimation de ce paramètre quantitatif nécessite le suivi de la cinétique intrarénale de Gd après son injection en bolus. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons développé sous IDEA Siemens une séquence SR-FLASH strictement pondérée en T1 capable de suivre en dynamique l'évolution du signal RMN après l'injection d'un bolus de produit de contraste. Cette séquence possède un codage de phase centré permettant de déterminer le contraste au début de la période d'acquisition de l'image. Nous avons également mis en oeuvre une séquence d'inversion IR-FLASH (avec codage de phase centré) permettant la mesure de la relaxation longitudinale en l'absence de produit de contraste, ce paramètre étant indispensable à la conversion de l'intensité du signal en concentration. Sachant que la relation entre l'intensité du signal RMN et la concentration de Gd n'est pas linéaire, nous avons proposé deux méthodes originales et malgré tout rapides et robustes pour convertir le signal RMN en concentration locale de Gd. Ceci nous a permis d'évaluer l'évolution de la concentration dans les deux reins et dans l'aorte au cours des premiers passages du produit. L'ajustement des ces mesures de concentration sur les équations décrivant une modélisation bicompartimentale de la fonction rénale a permis de calculer le DFG de chaque rein dans une population de cinq sujets possédant un fonctionnement rénal normal. / This study seeks to assess the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) in the human kidney by MRI. To quantitatively estimate this parameter requires monitoring of the intrarenal kinetics of Gd after its bolus injection. To achieve this goal, we have developed under IDEA Siemens a SR-FLASH T1-weighted MRI sequence which can follow dynamic NMR signal changes after a bolus injection of Gd. This sequence has a centric phase-encoding scheme, and thus the image contrast was determined at the beginning of the acquisition period. Subsequently, we have implemented an IR-FLASH (with centric phase-encoding scheme) sequence to measure the longitudinal relaxation time in the absence of any injection of Gd ; this parameter is required to convert NMR signal intensities into Gd concentrations. knowing that the relation between the NMR signal intensities and the Gd concentrations is not linear, we have proposed two novel methods and yet fast and robust for conversion of the NMR signal intensities into local Gd concentration. This allowed us to estimate the temporal evolution of Gd concentrations in both kidneys and aorta. The fit of these concentrations measurements by a two-compartments model describing the function of the kidney allowed us to calculate the GFR of each kidney in a population of five subjects with normal renal function.