Whole-Body Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with a Continuously Moving Table Acquisition Method: Preliminary Results

Abstract

In this study, a method for whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging (wbDWI) during continuous table motion has been developed and implemented on a clinical scanner based on a short-Tau inversion recovery echo-planar DWI sequence. Unlike currently available multistation wbDWI, which has disadvantages such as long scanning times, poor image quality, and troublesome data realignment, continuously moving table wbDWI can overcome these technical problems while extending the longitudinal field of view in MRI systems. In continuously moving table wbDWI, images are acquired consecutively at the isocenter of the magnet, having less geometric distortions and various possibilities of spatial and temporal coverage of an extended field of view. The acquired images, together with an apparent diffusion coefficient analysis, show that continuously moving table wbDWI can be used by appropriately adapting the table velocity, scan range, radiofrequency coils, slice resolutions, and spatio-temporal acquisition schemes according to various clinical demands. Magn Reson Med 65:1557-1563, 2011. (C)2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.