Patent ID: 6933720

Claim:
A method of improving the quality of magnetic resonance images by preconditioning an EPI pulse sequence for use in an ultra-fast MRI system so as to negate abnormalities in gradient fields, said method comprising: (i) performing a modified EPI pulse sequence with the ultra-fast MRI system with phase encoding gradients switched off thereby obtaining collective sequence diagnostic parameters, said collective sequence diagnostic parameters comprising at least one of: a collective deviation of the echo centers, from the center of the echo acquisition window by Δ, a collective shift of the even-echo centers from the odd-echo centers by δ; and a collective linear drift of the echo centers by an amount of σ per echo; (ii) computing sequence-preconditioning parameters for the EPI sequence from said obtained collective sequence diagnostic parameters; and (iii) modifying a subsequently performed EPI pulse sequence in accordance with said computed preconditioning parameters as the subsequent EPI pulse sequence is performed and thereby obtaining an improved magnetic resonance image when the subsequent EPI pulse sequence is performed.