System and method for improved diffusion-weighted imaging

A magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) system comprising:

• a magnet system configured to generate a polarizing magnetic field about at least a region of interest (“ROI”) of a subject arranged in the MRI system;
• a plurality of gradient coils configured to apply a gradient field with respect to the polarizing magnetic field;
• a radio frequency (“RF”) system configured to apply RF excitation fields to the subject and acquire MR image data therefrom;
• and
• a computer programmed to:
• receive an indication of a plurality of constraints comprising an eddy current constraint for imaging the ROI at a selected diffusion weighting;
• apply an optimization framework to generate an optimized diffusion encoding gradient waveform satisfying the plurality of constraints;
• direct the plurality of gradient coils and RF system to perform a pulse sequence comprising the optimized diffusion encoding gradient waveform to generate diffusion-weighted data;
• and
• generate at least one image of the target using the diffusion-weighted data.