Second order motion compensated spin echo cardiac diffusion tensor imaging on clinical MR systems

Background Recently second order motion compensated spin echo (SE) sequences in conjunction with high performance gradient systems have been proposed for diffusion weighted (DWI) [1] and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) [2,3] of the human in vivo heart. The method allows for free breathing acquisition without requiring dedicated patient feedback systems or other provisions [4], facilitating the transition of cardiac DTI into a clinical environment. In this preliminary study we investigate the limits of SE based cardiac DTI relative to available gradient strengths to explore the required gradient specifications of clinical MR equipment.