Correction of gradient pulse shape distortions in radial MRI

Abstract

This paper focuses on the optimization of gradient-pulse shapes in MRI measurement. The main topic investigated in this paper is optimization of slice-selective gradient, where imperfections may produce phase distortion in the resulting image and also signal loss in the acquired signal. A method for correction is proposed based on the Nelder-Mead algorithm followed by greedy search in the neighborhood of the found solution. The adjustment is evaluated using a simple Fast low angle shot (FLASH) sequence with radial readout. The results show a significant improvement in the Free induction decay (FID) signal magnitude, echo stability, and an improvement in the homogeneity of image phase.