High-resolution MRI of the human inner ear at 1.5 T and 3.0 T

Purpose: CISS is regarded the method of choice for MRI of the inner ear. CISS combines the raw data two re-phased gradient-echo sequences (FISP und PSIF) to reduce motion artifacts. This comparison compares the effects of higher field strength and reduced flip angles on SNR and potential deterioration in image quality due to field inhomogeneities. Method and materials: The study was carried out on whole body MR systems (Siemens Sonata and Trio) with 40 mT/m gradient systems using the standard head coils. At 1.5 T, the sequence parameters were: 3D-CISS, flip angle 70°, TR=9.27 ms, TE=4.64 ms, read-out bandwidth:…