Reduction of susceptibility artifact in gradient-echo imaging

Abstract

A new technique with which susceptibility artifact in gradient-echo imaging can be reduced substantially by use of a tailored RF pulse is described. The proposed technique can ideally be applied to the case where high local magnetic field inhomogeneity is dominated by the susceptibility. The signal loss and void phenomena due to susceptibility in a voxel are studied and a correction method is also proposed. The description of the tailored RF pulse and its proposed application are given and experimental results obtained using a human volunteer with a 2.0-T KAIS NMR system are presented.