Automatic Reconstruction of Gradient Echo Imaging Sequences by Concurrent and Continuous Monitoring of Gradient and RF Waveforms

David Otto Brunner¹, Benjamin E. Dietrich¹, Christoph Barmet¹, ², Simon Gross¹, Bertram J. Wilm¹, Klaas P. Pruessmann¹

Two major shortcomings of conventional monitoring are limited image resolution (≈probe diameter/2) as well as finite acquisition and dead time due to the relaxation properties of the field probes. Therefore the monitoring approach needed to be closely entangled with the image acquisition and was bound to sequences with low repetition times. These limitations are overcome by fast re-excitation of the field probes and further recording the stray-coupled high power RF signals of the scanner. Such comprehensive information about the spin dynamics is the used for a automatic reconstruction of various gradient echo based sequences.