Patent ID: 8508226

Claim:
A method for reducing distortions in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images of an examination subject, comprising the steps of: operating a magnetic resonance data acquisition system to acquire magnetic resonance data in a first measurement with a first diffusion weighting; operating said magnetic resonance data acquisition system to acquire magnetic resonance data in a second measurement with a second diffusion weighting that is different from said first diffusion weighting; in a computerized processor, automatically determining a non-linear, system-specific distortion-correcting function based on information that is specific to said magnetic resonance data acquisition system; in said computerized processor, calculating correction parameters, by applying said system-specific distortion-correcting function to said magnetic resonance data acquired in said first and second measurements, to correct distortions in subsequently-acquired diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images; and operating said magnetic resonance data acquisition system to acquire a diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance image of the examination subject that embodies distortions therein and, in said computerized processor, applying said correction parameters to said diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance image to correct said diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance image to at least reduce said distortions therein.