Cine imaging (MRI)

Cine imaging or cine sequences are a type of MRI sequences acquired to capture motion.

Imaging technique

Cine images are obtained by repeatedly imaging the area of interest for a certain time typically within a single slice, although 3D solutions already exist .

For the heart, this achieved by acquisition at multiple time points throughout the cardiac cycle, after synchronisation with the ECG has been achieved.

Separate k spaces are assigned to different phases or segments of the cardiac cycle.

Imaging data is acquired during the different phases of each cardiac cycle and allocated to the corresponding k-spaces. The data accretion process requires a few R-R intervals.

Images are reconstructed from each k-space and shown in a movie.

This type of imaging technique requires fast imaging techniques using very short repetition and echo times such as balanced steady-state free precession or spoiled gradient echo sequences .

Clinical applications

Typical clinical applications of cine imaging include:

• cardiac MRI
• MR defecography
• MR enterography