Multi-shot 3D diffusion MRI sequence for a fast and high-resolution imaging at 3T

Motivation: Several multi-shot 2D acquisition techniques have been developed to improve the resolution of diffusion MRI (dMRI) of the brain, but require long scan times. Goal(s): To develop a 3D dMRI sequence with improved SNR efficiency to achieve high-resolution scans in a reasonable time. Approach: We implemented a 3D spin echo sequence with an inversion pulse before the excitation to improve SNR at short repetition times and a TURBINE readout trajectory. Projection-based image reconstruction is employed to avoid artifacts caused by shot-to-shot phase errors. Results: Phantom and human scans at 3T show an improvement in SNR efficiency over 2D dMRI. Impact: We designed a multi-shot 3D dMRI sequence that is SNR efficient and robust to motion artifacts between shots. This sequence will enable high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging of the whole brain in short scan times.