Spin echo mr imaging with spiral acquisition

A magnetic resonance (MR) device including at least one main magnet coil for generating a uniform, static magnetic field within an examination volume, a number of gradient coils for generating switched magnetic field gradients in different spatial directions within the examination volume, at least one RF coil for generating RF pulses within the examination volume and/or for receiving MR signals from an object positioned in the examination volume, a control unit for controlling the temporal succession of RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients, and a reconstruction unit for reconstructing an MR image from the received MR signals, wherein the MR device is arranged to perform a method comprising:

• generating a spin echo by subjecting the object to an imaging sequence comprising an RF excitation pulse followed by an RF refocusing pulse, wherein a modulated readout magnetic field gradient is applied subsequent to the RF refocusing pulse,
• acquiring MR signal data by recording the spin echo along a spiral trajectory in k-space, wherein the waveform of the readout magnetic field gradient defining the spiral trajectory starts before the spin echo center wherein a diffusion-sensitizing magnetic field gradient is applied before and after the RF refocusing pulse, so as to diffusion-weight the acquired MR signals and the duration of the diffusion-sensitizing magnetic field gradient applied before the RF refocusing pulse is longer than the duration of the diffusion-sensitizing magnetic field gradient applied after the RF refocusing pulse and
• arranging for reconstructing a diffusion-weighted MR image from the acquired MR signal data.