Meeting Banner
Abstract #4264

Designing a Hyperbolic Secant Excitation Pulse to Reduce Signal Dropout in GE-EPI

Stephen James Wastling1, Gareth John Barker1

1Department of Neuroimaging, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

GE-EPI images suffer from signal dropout caused by susceptibility gradients. This can be reduced using Hyperbolic Secant (HS) RF excitation pulses with quadratic phase profiles. We determine by Bloch simulation the HS pulse parameters to give the most uniform signal response across the range of susceptibility gradients observed in the human head and show that the previous theoretical model for this is inaccurate. We also derive an expression for the bandwidth of a HS pulse used for excitation that is flip angle dependent. Finally using our optimised pulse we demonstrate recovery of signal in regions of dropout in six subjects.

Keywords

acceleration acquiring affected amplitude angular arises artifact assumed assuming assumption audience bandwidth barker blue body brain cancel channel coil college comes constant cortex cost crosses currently dark degree dependence dependent derive derived designed determine determined determines dimensionless discrepancy dispersion dropout duration electric ensure example excitation expression field fixed frequency full function gaps general give gradient gradients green head healthy human hyperbolic inaccurate increasing induced inversion investigating john keeping king light linear lobes losses male manually match mater matrix measured minimize modulation near needed noise optimal optimized park partially passage perfectly phantom phys planar practice predictions prescribed previous previously prior profile profiles pulse pulses quadratic recovery rectangular reduce reduced reduces related replaced representative required resolution response resting ripple scanner secant selection sequentially sharpness shim simulated simulation simulations slice slices sliver spatial stop subjects suffer susceptibility switching system target task temporal theoretical theory thicker thirty transmission transverse unaffected uniform varies volunteers whilst wright