Correcting image blur in spiral, retraced in/out (RIO) acquisitions using a maximized energy objective

Images acquired with spiral k-space trajectories can suffer from off-resonance image blur. Previous work showed that averaging 2 images acquired with a retraced, in/out (RIO) trajectory self-corrects image blur so long as off-resonant spins accrue less than 1 half-cycle of relative phase over the readout. Practical scenarios frequently exceed this threshold. Here, we derive and characterize a more-robust off-resonance image blur correction method for RIO acquisitions.

Phantom and human volunteer data were acquired using a RIO trajectory with readout durations ranging from 4 to 60 ms. The resulting images were deblurred using 3 candidate methods: conventional linear correction of the component images; semiautomatic deblurring of the component images using an established minimized phase objective function; and semiautomatic deblurring of the average of the component images using a maximized energy objective function, derived below. Deblurring errors were estimated relative to images acquired with 4 ms readouts.

All 3 methods converged to similar solutions in cases where less than 2 and 4 cycles of phase accrued over the readout in in vivo and phantom images, respectively (<13 ms readout at 3T). Above this threshold, the linear and minimized phase methods introduced several errors. The maximized energy function provided accurate deblurring so long as less than 6 and 10 cycles of phase accrued over the readout in in vivo and phantom images, respectively (<34 ms readout at 3T).

The maximized energy objective function can accurately deblur RIO acquisitions over a wide spectrum of off resonance frequencies.