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Abstract #2222

Rapid Multi-Shot Segmented EPI Using the Simultaneous Multi-Slice Acquisition Method

Jonathan R. Polimeni1, Kawin Setsompop1, Borjan A. Gagoski2, Jennifer A. McNab1, Christina Triantafyllou1, 3, Lawrence L. Wald1, 4

1Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States; 2Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; 3A. A. Martinos Imaging Center, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; 4Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States Minor Outlying Islands

Highly-accelerated imaging allows for rapid single-shot EPI acquisitions to mitigate distortion and blurring effects. However there is an intrinsic SNR penalty that scales with the square-root of the acceleration factor and with the g-factor, ultimately limiting its usability. Multi-shot segmented EPI acquisitions can similarly mitigate these deleterious effects, yet the longer temporal sampling interval amplifies physiological noise and system instabilities. Here, we merge a segmented multi-shot EPI acquisition with the Simultaneous Multi-Shot technique. This combination of techniques allows each EPI segment to employ a distinct multi-slice excitation pulse, enabling advantageous slice-aliasing patterns to reduce the g-factor of the image reconstruction.

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Keywords

accelerated acceleration achieve acquisition acquisitions additional adjusted advantageous aliasing allows alternate amplifies application array artifact beneficial biomedical blip blips blurring body brain channel collapsed combination comparable computer concatenated concatenation conjunction contamination correction deleterious design designed distinct distortion division eliminates employ employed enabled enabling engineering example excitation excited expected explore fact field final fluctuations framework future gradient head health hospital identical impose imposed included increasing instabilities institute interval intrinsic islands lack larger limiting little longer maps matched matrix maximize medical merge minor mitigate mitigation need needed negative noise obviating overall pattern patterns penalty physiological positive prior pulse pulses radiology rapid readily readout recently reconstructed reconstruction reduce reducing reflecting residual resolution resolutions response retaining root sampling scales scanner scheme school segment segmented segmenting segments selective separate separated series shot shots side similarly simultaneous slice slices square strengths structured subjects supplied supported system technology temporal trio ultimately usability variability vendor verse whereas whole yielding