An Efficient EPI Pulse Sequence Module for Active Marker Motion Correction Acquisition for EPI Scans

Erik B. Beall¹, Mark J. Lowe¹

Head motion is a huge problem in many advanced MRI sequences. Previous reports of microcoil-based active marker motion correction are truly prospective but impose reductions in SNR and time-efficiency in the main sequence due the separate excitation. Anatomic sequences are largely insensitive to motion, but functional, perfusion and diffusion-weighted EPI presents intractable problems if there is more than minimal head motion. EPI in most uses requires a fat saturation pulse, and we present a method to use fat saturation with active markers to remove the SNR and time penalties and demonstrate proof-of-principle in human data.