Improved Simultaneous Multislice EPI Reconstruction for Diffusion MRI Using Iterative Phase Error-Corrected SENSE (iPEC-SENSE)

Motivation: The need to reduce artifacts and improve SNR in phase error corrected SENSE (PEC-SENSE) reconstruction is critical for diffusion MRI. Goal(s): To develop a method that enhances image quality in terms of reduced residual artifacts and noise while maintaining accurate phase error correction. Approach: The iterative PEC-SENSE (iPEC-SENSE) method integrates slice-dependent phase error correction and L1-wavelet regularization using the POCS formalism. Results: This approach significantly reduces artifacts and improves SNR, facilitating more reliable DTI analysis. Impact: Iterative phase error corrected SENSE (iPEC-SENSE) effectively suppresses noise and artifacts in diffusion MR images, significantly improves image quality and DTI analysis.