T2-weighted imaging of the brain using single shot sequences such as HASTE suffer from reduced spatial resolution, blurring artifacts and decreased conspicuity of small lesions. We present an analytic framework to design the refocusing flip angles for the HASTE sequence tailored for brain imaging. The flip angles are optimized to minimize SAR and blurring, and maximize SNR. The utility of this sequence is demonstrated by incorporating it in a brain tumor protocol and comparing its performance to conventional T2w Turbo Spin Echo in 21 patients.
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