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Abstract:
Introduction: CEST imaging is a molecular imaging method that allows the detection of molecules in the millimolar range. This is achieved by using selective radiofrequency (rf) irradiation 1,2,3 to obtain a saturation spectrum, the so-called Z-spectrum 4,5,6 . At clinical scanners, pulsed CEST sequences are needed to stay within amplifier and SAR limits. During off-resonant rf-pulses, as well as during the inter-pulse delay the magnetization vector and the rotating system can accumulate specific relative phases. Until now, this phase information accumulated within the pulse train was not investigated and its influence neglected. In this draft we show that these phases are important to consider and can lead to unexpected artifacts and side- bands in the Z-spectra.
