A flexible approach for correction of bipolar gradient-induced effects in fat-water separation

Motivation: The use of bipolar readout gradients enables shorter echo spacings which are beneficial for fat-water separation. However, these gradients also induced effects that are detrimental to accurate fat-water separation. Goal(s): To develop a novel method for correcting bipolar-induced errors without additional scans and with flexibility in choosing the fat-water separation method. Approach: Graph-cut fat-water separation was used for joint postprocessing of odd and even echoes to correct bipolar-induced effects. The corrected data was then processed as if acquired using unipolar readouts. Results: This approach extends existing unipolar fat-water separation techniques for use with data acquired using bipolar readout gradients. Impact: We proposed a novel approach that corrects phase errors and amplitude modulation induced by bipolar readout gradients. The approach enables broader use of advanced fat-water separation techniques with bipolar readout gradient pulses.