Premium
SPLICE: Sub‐second diffusion‐sensitive MR imaging using a modified fast spin‐echo acquisition mode
Author(s) -
Schick Fritz
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.1910380418
Subject(s) - spin echo , nuclear magnetic resonance , echo (communications protocol) , diffusion , physics , echo planar imaging , phase (matter) , diffusion mri , magnetic resonance imaging , fast spin echo , computer science , medicine , radiology , computer network , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Recent human studies for measuring of the apparent diffusion coefficient in tissue by magnetic resonance imaging have been conducted by time‐consuming standard spin‐echo acquisition sequences and phase correction with navigator echoes. Diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar sequences have been shown to be rapid alternatives for brain imaging. Both methods show inherent disadvantages in applications on thoracic or abdominal sites. A new approach combining single‐shot diffusion‐weighted imaging with a modified fast spin‐echo acquisition mode is reported here. The modification is necessary, because normal fast spin‐echo acquisition requires a particular phase relation between the magnetization and the refocusing pulses. Unfortunately, this phase relation is not provided after diffusion sensitive preparation. Therefore, the split echo acquisition mode was developed and is shown to be insensitive to the phase of the magnetization. The advantages of both fast spin‐echo acquisition and diffusion weighting can be combined in the SPLICE sequence (split aqcuisition of fast spin‐echo signals for diffusion imaging). The applicability of the new technique is shown by series of sub‐second diffusion‐weighted images from different parts of the body.