Echo-planar spectroscopic imaging with flyback readout: ghost peaks and micro-imaging

Motivation: To assess echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) with flyback readout gradients in preclinical MR system. Goal(s): To demonstrate spectral ghost artifacts produced by two, three, and four interleaved gradient echo trains and to measure water, fat, and water-fat shift artifacts free images. Approach: Flyback EPSI with two, three, and four interleaved gradient echo trains. Results: The proposed approach with four interleaved gradient echo trains and with four echoes in each train enables high spectral bandwidth in combination with narrow receiver bandwidth and a very good water/fat signals separation. It improves SNR without the undesired consequence of water-fat shift artifacts. Impact: Echo-planar spectroscopic imaging with flyback readout enables measurement of water, fat, and water-fat shift artifact-free images. Four interleaved echo trains with four echoes in each train provide high spectral, and narrow receiver bandwidth, and a very good water-fat separation.