Patent ID: 8294462

Claim:
A method for correcting image distortions that occur in a magnetic resonance image due to acquisition of magnetic resonance data for generating the magnetic resonance image at different positions within a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit, said method comprising the steps of: continuously moving a patient on a patient table through an isocenter of a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit comprising a gradient coil that produces a gradient filed that exhibits imperfect linearity around said isocenter and, with said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit, acquiring raw magnetic resonance data from respective successive regions of the patient as the patient is moved on said moving table through the isocenter, said raw magnetic resonance data exhibiting encoding imperfections due to said patient moving with said patient table through said gradient field that exhibits said imperfect linearity, and entering said raw magnetic resonance data in multiple segments in k-space using a radial filling trajectory; in a processor, automatically determining a non-punctiform intersection region in a center of k-space simultaneously covered by said multiple segments; in said processor, calculating distortion, due to said imperfect encoding dependent on the intersection region of at least two different segments among said multiple segments; and in said processor, reconstructing a magnetic resonance image based on said raw magnetic resonance data and correcting the calculated distortion in the reconstructed magnetic resonance image, and making the reconstructed magnetic resonance image available as a data file at an output of the processor.