Purpose
To optimize Relaxation along a Fictitious Field (RAFF) pulses for rotating frame relaxometry with improved robustness in the presence of B0 and B1+ field inhomogeneities.

Methods
The resilience of RAFF pulses against B0 and B1+ inhomogeneities was studied using Bloch simulations. A parameterized extension of the RAFF formulation was introduced and used to derive a generalized inhomogeneity-resilient RAFF (girRAFF) pulse. RAFF and girRAFF preparation efficiency, defined as the ratio of the longitudinal magnetization before and after the preparation Mz (Tp / M0), were simulated and validated in phantom experiments. TRAFF and TgirRAFF parametric maps were acquired at 3T in phantom, the calf muscle, and the knee cartilage of healthy subjects. The relaxation time maps were analyzed for resilience against artificially induced field inhomogeneities and assessed in terms of in vivo reproducibility.

Results
Optimized girRAFF preparations yielded improved preparation efficiency (0.95/0.91 simulations/phantom) with respect to RAFF (0.36/0.67 simulations/phantom). TgirRAFF preparations showed in phantom/calf 6.0/4.8 times higher resilience to B0 inhomogeneities than RAFF, and a 4.7/5.3 improved resilience to B1+ inhomogeneities. In the knee cartilage, TgirRAFF (53 ± 14 ms) was higher than TRAFF (42 ± 11 ms). Moreover, girRAFF preparations yielded 7.6/4.9 times improved reproducibility across B0/B1+ inhomogeneity conditions, 1.9 times better reproducibility across subjects and 1.2 times across slices compared with RAFF. Dixon-based fat suppression led to a further 15-fold improvement in the robustness of girRAFF to inhomogeneities.

Conclusions
RAFF pulses display residual sensitivity to off-resonance and pronounced sensitivity to B1+ inhomogeneities. Optimized girRAFF pulses provide increased robustness and may be an appealing alternative for applications where resilience against field inhomogeneities is required.