Jay Moore1,2, Marcin Jankiewicz1,3,
Adam W Anderson1,4, John C. Gore1,4
1Institute of Imaging
Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 2Physics
& Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 3Department
of Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University; 4Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University
Non-selective composite RF pulses are numerically optimized for insensitivity to static and RF field variations and subsequently transformed into slice-selective pulses via RF shape modification and execution of an oscillating gradient waveform. Pulse designs accommodate the gradient performance and maximum RF amplitude limits of a commercial 7 T human scanner while significantly reducing signal variations due to B1+ inhomogeneities in the human brain.