Whole body DWIBS and Water-Fat resolved Dixon for Midfield MRI

Motivation: Midfield MRI has advantages regarding patient safety, reduced acoustic noise, and lower susceptibility artifacts. This study explores its potential in diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) and water/fat separation. Goal(s): To assess the feasibility and image quality of combining DWIBS and Dixon water/fat imaging on a 0.6T MRI system, enabling whole-body imaging suitable for clinical use. Approach: A prototype 0.6T MRI system was used to perform multi-station DWIBS and Dixon water-fat imaging in five healthy subjects. Results: The combined DWIBS and Dixon imaging produced adequate image quality and effective water/fat separation, demonstrating midfield MRI's potential for various clinical applications. Impact: This study demonstrates that midfield MRI can achieve clinically viable whole-body DWIBS and Dixon imaging. These findings could encourage broader clinical use of midfield MRI, particularly for patients with implants or susceptibility to high-field MRI risks.