Method and magnetic resonance apparatus for determining a scan sequence based on a representation of a pulse response in k-space of the gradient system

A method for operating a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising an MR data acquisition scanner having a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter, an RF receiver, a gradient coil arrangement and a computer, said method comprising:

• storing calibration data in a memory that describe a pulse response in k-space of said gradient coil arrangement;
• with a computer, accessing said memory and reading said calibration data from said memory;
• and
• in said computer, determining a scan sequence, based on said pulse response in k-space of said gradient coil arrangement described in said calibration data, for operating said MR data acquisition scanner, said scan sequence comprising RF pulses to be radiated by said RF transmitter and scan times for reception of MR signals by said RF receiver, and gradient pulses activated by said gradient coil arrangement, operating said MR data acquisition scanner according to said scan sequence in order to acquire MR data from an examination object in said MR data acquisition scanner, making the acquired data available from the computer in electronic form as a data file, determine a k-space trajectory, for entering the acquired MR data into k-space, dependent on said pulse response in k-space represented in said calibration data, and dependent on said gradient pulses of said scan sequence, wherein said RF pulses in said scan sequence manipulate magnetization of certain nuclear spins in the examination subject, and determine said k-space trajectory dependent on said manipulation of the magnetization of said certain nuclear spins.

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a computer system of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus that comprises an MR data acquisition scanner having a radio-frequency (RF) transmitter, an RF receiver, a gradient coil arrangement, and a memory, said programming instructions causing said computer system to:

• access a memory in which calibration data are stored that describe a pulse response in k-space of said gradient coil arrangement and read said calibration data from said memory;
• and
• determine a scan sequence, based on said pulse response in k-space of said gradient coil arrangement, for operating said MR data acquisition scanner, said scan sequence comprising RF pulses to be radiated by said RF transmitter and scan times for reception of MR signals by said RF receiver, and gradient pulses activated by said gradient coil arrangement, operate said MR data acquisition scanner according to said scan sequence in order to acquire MR data from an examination object in said MR data acquisition scanner, make the acquired data available from the computer in electronic form as a data file, to determine a k-space trajectory, for entering the acquired MR data into k-space, dependent on said pulse response in k-space represented in said calibration data, and dependent on said gradient pulses of said scan sequence, wherein said RF pulses in said scan sequence manipulate magnetization of certain nuclear spins in the examination subject, and to determine said k-space trajectory dependent on said manipulation of the magnetization of said certain nuclear spins.