Mitigating B1+ shading for 3D turbo-spin-echo imaging at 3T

Motivation: Mitigate shading in MRI images, resulting from inhomogeneities in the B1+ field, which can obscure anatomical details and affect diagnostic accuracy. Goal(s): Evaluate feasibility of using dynamically calculated spatially selective RF pulses aiming to mitigate B1+ shading in 3D turbo-spin-echo imaging of the brachial plexus at 3T. Approach: Nonselective rectangular RF pulses are replaced by online-optimized spatially selective RF pulses based on B1 and B0 maps acquired immediately before the actual measurement. Results: Spatial-selective RF pulses can mitigate image shading caused by B1+ variations in 3D turbo-spin-echo imaging of the brachial plexus at 3T. Impact: The work shows that sophisticated pulse design can mitigate B1+ shading at 3T particularly in 3D turbo-spin-echo imaging of the brachial plexus at the cost of about 35% increased pulse energy and 40s increased scan time due to additional preparations.