Patent ID: 8497680

Claim:
A method for diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI), comprising: performing a first double echo SSFP (DESS) scan of a sample, wherein a first set of SSFP-FID (S 1 + ) and SSFP-Echo (S 1 − ) image data of said sample is acquired from at least one first S + signal and at least one first S − signal and wherein said first set of image data has a gradient dephasing moment of |Gτ 1 |, performing a second double echo SSFP (DESS) scan of said sample, wherein a second set of SSFP-FID (S 2 + ) and SSFP-Echo (S 2 − ) image data of said sample is acquired from at least one second S + signal and at least one second S − signal and wherein said second set of image data has a gradient dephasing moment of |Gτ 2 |, wherein |Gτ 1 |≠|Gτ 2 |, wherein at least said second set of image data is diffusion-sensitized via an unipolar diffusion sensitizing gradient pulse placed between said at least one second S + signal and at least one second S − signal, combining the first set of image data with the second set of image data to obtain a diffusion-weighted MR image which is insensitive to longitudinal and/or transverse relaxation times (T 1 and/or T 2 ).