Extended ISIS sequences insensitive to T(1) smearing

Image selected in vivo spectroscopy (ISIS) is a volume selection method often used for in vivo (31)P MRS, since it is suitable for measurements of substances with short T(2). However, ISIS can suffer from significant signal contributions caused by T(1) smearing from regions outside the VOI. A computer model was developed to simulate this contamination. The simulation results for the ISIS experiment order implemented in our MR system (ISIS-0) were in agreement with results obtained from phantom measurements. A new extended ISIS experiment order (E-ISIS) was developed, consisting of four "optimal" ISIS experiment orders (ISIS-1 to ISIS-4) performed consecutively with dummy ISIS experiments in between. The simulation results show that contamination due to T(1) smearing is, effectively, eliminated with E-ISIS and is significantly lower than for ISIS-0 and ISIS-1. E-ISIS offers increased accuracy for quantitative and qualitative determination of substances studied using in vivo MRS. Hence, E-ISIS can be valuable for both clinical and research applications.