Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
Published on: April 13, 2022
Optimization of diffusion-weighted single-refocused spin-echo EPI by reducing eddy-current artifacts and shortening
Manoj Shrestha1, Pavel Hok2,3, Ulrike Nöth2
1Brain Imaging Center (BIC), Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. shrestha@med.uni-frankfurt.de.
Objective:
The purpose of this work was to optimize the acquisition of diffusion-weighted (DW) single-refocused spin-echo (srSE) data without intrinsic eddy-current compensation (ECC) for an improved performance of ECC postprocessing. The rationale is that srSE sequences without ECC may yield shorter echo times (TE) and thus higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) than srSE or twice-refocused spin-echo (trSE) schemes with intrinsic ECC.
Materials And Methods:
The proposed method employs dummy scans with DW gradients to drive eddy currents into a steady state before data acquisition. Parameters of the ECC postprocessing algorithm were also optimized. Simulations were performed to obtain minimum TE values for the proposed sequence and sequences with intrinsic ECC. Experimentally, the proposed method was compared with standard DW-trSE imaging, both in vitro and in vivo.
Results:
Simulations showed substantially shorter TE for the proposed method than for methods with intrinsic ECC when using shortened echo readouts. Data of the proposed method showed a marked increase in SNR. A dummy scan duration of at least 1.5 s improved performance of the ECC postprocessing algorithm.
Conclusion:
Changes proposed for the DW-srSE sequence and for the parameter setting of the postprocessing ECC algorithm considerably reduced eddy-current artifacts and provided a higher SNR.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Echo
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case,...
Eddy Currents
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...
Diffusion
Diffusion
NMR Spectroscopy: Spin–Spin Coupling
Spin–Spin Coupling: One-Bond Coupling

