Patent ID: 8614575

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) exposing a sample volume to a static magnetic field ({right arrow over (B)} 0 ); (b) modulating a RF field ({right arrow over (B)} 1 ) that the sample volume is exposed to; (c) modulating a gradient field ({right arrow over (G)} shim ({right arrow over (r)},t)) that the sample volume is exposed to, the gradient field being a function of a position vector ({right arrow over (r)}) associated with the sample volume and time (t), the static magnetic field, the RF field, and the gradient field forming an effective field ({right arrow over (B)} EFF ({right arrow over (r)},t)); (d) detecting a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from the sample volume; and (e) minimizing a dephasing of the sample volume exposed to the effective field, the dephasing being caused by inhomogeneity in the static magnetic field.