Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Toshiba America Mri, Inc.

Ilya Simovsky

David M Kramer

James D Hale

Hector E Avram

Hector C Avram

In preferred embodiments, a fast spin echo imaging technique is provided that is insensitive to violations of the Carr Purcell Meiboom Gill (CPMG) condition. Diffusion gradients disrupt the CPMG condition, and, hence, the present fast spin echo method is compatible with diffusion measurements and diffusion weighted imaging. The preferred embodiments of the present technique involve splitting of spin echoes into echo pairs. Spin echoes are split by adjustment (in magnitude or duration) of an initial readout gradient pulse. A train of echo pairs is captured. A first image is constructed using the first echoes of each pair. Also, a second image is constructed using the second echoes of each pair. Hybrid radial Cartesian methods are used for constructing the first and second images. The first and second images are constructed independently of one another. Independent image construction renders the method insensitive to violation of the CPMG condition. Finally, the two images are combined to form a final image.

Fast spin echo MRI method compatible with CPMG violation

A method to separate two chemically-shifted components of water (w) and fat (f) signals by: (i) estimating the field inhomogeneity &#x3b2; through a treatment of the residuals of the Moore-Penrose solution of the following equations: cos(&#x3b1;&#x3b2;)*w+cos [&#x3b1;(1+&#x3b2;)]*f=real (I) and sin(&#x3b1;&#x3b2;)*w+sin [&#x3b1;(1+&#x3b2;)]*f=imaginary (I), and (ii) using the estimated &#x3b2; to determine the resulting solution for w and f from the original input signals I.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Ilya Simovsky