Short echo-time high-resolution diffusion imaging using multi-interleave spiral acquisition with simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) technique

Motivation: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using spiral readout has higher signal-to-noise efficiency comparing to EPI approaches. Spiral DWI with a high spatial-resolution with improved image qualities is desirable for studies in fine-scale brain structures. Goal(s): The goal is to develop a short echo-time distortion-free diffusion imaging method with about 1 mm in-plane resolution with spiral readouts and simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) to accelerate acquisition. Approach: We developed a SMS multi-interleave spiral acquisition of DWI with gradient and B0 inhomogeneity corrections. The between-interleave phase error was corrected using a CG-SENSE method. Results: We demonsrated that a distortion-free short-TE high-resolution DWI using SMS multi-interleave spiral readout is feasible. Impact: A short echo-time multi-interleave spiral diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) method with gradient and B0 inhomogeneity corrections without additional hardware is developed, leading to a high spatial-resolution DWI with an improved image quality for studies in fine-scale brain structures.