Reducing scan time burden for neonatal MRI of pulmonary structure using FLORET UTE

Andrew D Hahn; Matt M Willmering; Nara S Higano; Conner J Wharff; Robert J Fleck; Robert P Guillerman; Jason S Woods; Sean B Fain

doi:10.1007/s10334-026-01368-1

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Reducing scan time burden for neonatal MRI of pulmonary structure using FLORET UTE

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Reducing scan time burden for neonatal MRI of pulmonary structure using FLORET UTE

Andrew D Hahn, Matt M Willmering, Nara S Higano, Conner J Wharff, Robert J Fleck, Robert P Guillerman, Jason S Woods and Sean B Fain

Magma (New York, N.Y.)

05/14/2026

DOI: 10.1007/s10334-026-01368-1

PMID: 42133264

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Abstract

Pulmonary MRI in neonates can be performed with quality comparable to radial 3D ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI in significantly less time using a FLORET trajectory. Eighteen NICU patients with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), age 40.9 ± 3.0 weeks at time of imaging, underwent MRI using Radial and FLORET UTE at 1.5 T. Pulmonary signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), lung density, and radiologist scoring of motion artifacts and image quality were compared across sequence types. FLORET UTE reduced scan time by ~ 75% (4:40 vs. 16:41 min.) while incurring only ~ 10-30% SNR reduction vs. radial (radial vs. 1-hub FLORET: 9.8 ± 2.8 vs. 9.0 ± 2.6, radial vs. 3-hub FLORET: 9.2 ± 3.0 vs. 7.7 ± 2.3), P < 0.05. Normalized lung density measurements were elevated in FLORET (radial vs. 1-hub FLORET: 0.42 ± 0.13 vs. 0.49 ± 0.14, radial vs. 3-hub FLORET: 0.49 ± 0.13 vs. 0.51 ± 0.13), P < 0.05. Accounting for scan time differences, normalized radial SNR was 19% and 16% lower than 1-hub and 3-hub FLORET, respectively (P < 0.05). No significant differences in radiologist scores were found. FLORET UTE images are of quality comparable to radial UTE at 75% of the total scan time, the current state of the art, and have a much greater time-SNR efficiency with enormous benefit in the neonatal population.

Lung

Ultrashort echo time

FLORET

Neonatal MRI

UIOWA OA Agreement

Details

Title: Subtitle: Reducing scan time burden for neonatal MRI of pulmonary structure using FLORET UTE
Creators: Andrew D Hahn - University of Iowa, Radiology
Matt M Willmering - Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Nara S Higano - Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Conner J Wharff - University of Iowa
Robert J Fleck - Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Robert P Guillerman - Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Jason S Woods - Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Sean B Fain - University of Iowa, Radiology
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Magma (New York, N.Y.)
DOI: 10.1007/s10334-026-01368-1
PMID: 42133264
ISSN: 1352-8661
eISSN: 1352-8661
Publisher: Springer Nature
Grant note: R01 HL169765 / NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL126771 / NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL146689 / NHLBI NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 05/14/2026
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Radiology; Electrical and Computer Engineering
Record Identifier: 9985160639502771

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