1H-spectroscopic imaging with read gradient during acquisition in inhomogeneous fields: analysis, measurement strategy, and data processing.

The proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging techniques that use read gradient during acquisition produce proton spectra with high spatial and moderately high spectroscopic resolution in a reasonable time for in vivo applications. These techniques suffer mainly from the spatial and spectral distortions caused by the convolution of spectral/spatial information (chemical-shift artifacts) and from the spectral shifts caused by static magnetic field inhomogeneities. The investigators analyze the chemical-shift artifacts in the presence of nonnegligible static magnetic field inhomogeneities and propose a postdetection processing scheme to correct for such effects. Spectral artifacts caused by chemical shifts, spectral line overlapping, streak broadening, and magnetic field inhomogeneities are discussed. The postdetection data processing scheme is demonstrated on measurements of a phantom as well as a human leg.