Dixon water-fat separation for 3D diffusion-prepared gradient echo at 3T

Motivation: Fat suppression is an important aspect in diffusion imaging. While Dixon water-fat separation has been adopted in a wide range of MRI sequences, its use in diffusion imaging remains limited. Goal(s): To develop a sequence that enables 3D diffusion imaging with Dixon water-fat separation. Approach: A 3D diffusion-prepared gradient echo sequence is combined with bipolar two-point Dixon readouts and in-phase 2D navigator echoes for inter-shot phase correction, followed by a water-fat Dixon separation. Prostate diffusion imaging scans were performed with the proposed sequence in two healthy volunteers. Results: The proposed sequence shows excellent fat suppression for 3D diffusion imaging in the prostate. Impact: This work introduces an approach for water-fat separation in 3D diffusion imaging, thereby enabling excellent fat suppression.