Multiple Overlapping k-Space Junctions for Investigating Translating Objects (MOJITO)

It is a well-known property in Fourier transform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that rigid body translational motion in image space results in linear phase accumulation in k-space. This work describes Multiple Overlapping k-space Junctions for Investigating Translating Objects (MOJITO), a correction scheme based on phase differences at trajectory intersections caused by 2-D alterations in the position of an object during MR imaging. The algorithm allows both detection and correction of motion artifacts caused by 2-D rigid body translational motion. Although similar in concept to navigator echoes, MOJITO does not require a repeating path through k-space, uses k-space data from a broader region of k-space, and uses the repeated data in image reconstruction; this provides the potential for a highly efficient self-navigating motion correction method. Here, the concept and theoretical basis of MOJITO is demonstrated using the continuous sampling BOWTIE trajectory in simulation and MR experiments. This particular trajectory is selected since it is well suited for such an algorithm due to numerous trajectory intersections. Specifically, the validity of the technique in the presence of noise and off-resonance effects is demonstrated through simulation.