Fast  spectral imaging at 7T using COKE (COherent K-t-space Epsi) with a spatially selective IR pulse (achieved by controlling pTX coil phases)

In a recent study, we demonstrated the feasibility of the COKE (Coherent K-t-space EPSI) sequence at 3T MRI to halve acquisition time or double the spectral width (SW) compared to EPSI. In this study, we explored, on a phantom with mimicking brain properties, the benefits of COKE at 7T for fast spectroscopic imaging; using an SW of 2500Hz to better cover the metabolites' frequency range. We combined it with spatially selective inversion recovery (IR) using B₁ phases optimization in 8-channels transmit coil to minimize the signal drop in the center and to optimize the IR in the lipid region.