Enhanced 3D Filter-Exchange Imaging Using Multi-Slab Acquisition.

PURPOSE: Starting from the implementation of a single-slice FEXI sequence, a 3D method was developed to accelerate a FEXI experiment and acquire a multi-slice volume. METHODS: 3D multi-slab FEXI divides the volume of interest into different slabs. In each slab, the slab-selective diffusion and exchange modules are combined with slice-selective detection modules. The 3D multi-slab FEXI acquisition speed was assessed against single- and multi-slice FEXI. In addition, the new method was compared to single-slice FEXI on a yeast phantom. RESULTS: 3D multi-slab FEXI acquires thirty slices within the same scan time required for single- and multi-slice FEXI to acquire one and five slices, respectively. 3D multi-slab FEXI found AXR values, homogeneity, repeatability, and reproducibility comparable to those of single-slice FEXI, increasing SNR efficiency. CONCLUSION: 3D multi-slab FEXI accelerates a FEXI experiment and acquires a volume of several slices in the same scan time as the single-slice FEXI protocol, giving comparable AXRs.