Innovations in sparse MRI In search of a free lunch

It is often said that there is no free lunch in MRI. One example of the no free lunch theory is the well-known trade-off between imaging speed, signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. In the quest for the early detection of disease, we want sharper images, measured with a higher resolution. However, this means an increase in scan time and a decrease in valuable SNR. Moreover, patient comfort and ever-increasing healthcare costs demand quick MR check-ups.
The research in this thesis aimed at developing methods to increase the scan efficiency of various types of MRI acquisitions. This is predominantly achieved by designing data undersampling strategies with advanced reconstruction methods. The following is described: a combination of Cartesian under sampling and variable-density averaging was introduced, and successfully applied in noisy acquisitions. Acquisition and analysis methods were developed for dynamic-contrast-enhanced MRI of vessel wall, for the purpose of of atherosclerotic plaque imaging. Additionally, novel protocols for kinematic imaging of the knee, and for pre-clinical multi-color fluoride imaging were introduced.