Methods for producing a slice-selective adiabatic T

1. A method for generating a magnetic resonance image based on a slice-selective adiabatic magnetization T 2 preparation pulse, the method comprising:

generating, by a magnetic resonance imaging computing device, a pulse control signal comprising an adiabatic half passage pulse control signal, an adiabatic full passage pulse control signal, and a reverse adiabatic half passage pulse control signal;

generating, by the magnetic resonance imaging computing device, a plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals;

sampling, by the magnetic resonance imaging computing device, the pulse control signal using the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals to generate a slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal;

generating, by the magnetic resonance imaging computing device, an alternating polarity gradient pulse control signal for the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse;

outputting, by the magnetic resonance imaging computing device, the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal to a waveform generator to produce the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse;

outputting, by the magnetic resonance image computing device, an image sequence based on the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse and the alternating polarity gradient pulse control signal; and

generating, by the magnetic resonance imaging computing device, a magnetic resonance image based on the image sequence.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pulse control signal comprises a B 1 insensitive rotation pulse control signal.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the pulse control signal has a duration of 24 ms.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the adiabatic full passage pulse control signal comprises a 180 degree Shinnar-Le Roux pulse control signal.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the adiabatic full passage control signal comprises a duration of 12 ms and a bandwidth of 960 Hz.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals comprise at least forty four slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals comprise Hamming-windowed sinc pulse control signals.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the Hamming-windowed sinc pulse control signals comprise a time bandwidth product of one.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal comprises a bandwidth of 1.83 kHz.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse operates at a null flip angle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse comprises one or more waiting periods configured to provide an echo time.

12. A magnetic resonance imaging computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

and a memory coupled to the processor which is configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions comprising and stored in the memory to:

generate a pulse control signal comprising an adiabatic half passage pulse control signal, an adiabatic full passage pulse control signal, and a reverse adiabatic half passage pulse control signal;

generate a plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals;

sample the pulse control signal using the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals to generate a slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal;

generate an alternating polarity gradient pulse control signal for the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse;

output the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal to a waveform generator to produce the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse;

output an image sequence based on the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse and the alternating polarity gradient pulse control signal; and

generate a magnetic resonance image based on the image sequence.

13. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the pulse control signal comprises a B 1 insensitive rotation pulse control signal.

14. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the pulse control signal has a duration of 24 ms.

15. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the adiabatic full passage pulse control signal comprises a 180 degree Shinnar-Le Roux pulse control signal.

16. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the adiabatic full passage control signal comprises a duration of 12 ms and a bandwidth of 960 Hz.

17. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals comprise at least forty four slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals.

18. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals comprise Hamming-windowed sinc pulse control signals.

19. The device as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the Hamming-windowed sinc pulse control signals comprise a time bandwidth product of one.

20. The device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal comprises a bandwidth of 1.83 kHz.

21. The device of claim 12 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse operates at a null flip angle.

22. The device of claim 12 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse comprises one or more waiting periods configured to provide an echo time.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for generating a magnetic resonance image based on a slice-selective adiabatic magnetization T 2 preparation pulse comprising executable code which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

generating a pulse control signal comprising an adiabatic half passage pulse control signal, an adiabatic full passage pulse control signal, and a reverse adiabatic half passage pulse control signal;

generating a plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals;

sampling the pulse control signal using the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals to generate a slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal;

generating an alternating polarity gradient pulse control signal for the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse;

outputting the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal to a waveform generator to produce the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse;

outputting an image sequence based on the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse and the alternating polarity gradient pulse control signal; and

generating a magnetic resonance image based on the image sequence.

24. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the pulse control signal comprises a B 1 insensitive rotation pulse control signal.

25. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the pulse control signal has a duration of 24 ms.

26. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the adiabatic full passage pulse control signal comprises a 180 degree Shinnar-Le Roux pulse control signal.

27. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the adiabatic full passage control signal comprises a duration of 12 ms and a bandwidth of 960 Hz.

28. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals comprise at least forty four slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals.

29. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the plurality of slice-selective linear phase subpulse control signals comprise Hamming-windowed sinc pulse control signals.

30. The medium as set forth in claim 29 , wherein the Hamming-windowed sinc pulse control signals comprise a time bandwidth product of one.

31. The medium as set forth in claim 23 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation control signal comprises a bandwidth of 1.83 kHz.

32. The medium of claim 23 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse operates at a null flip angle.

33. The medium of claim 23 , wherein the slice-selective adiabatic T 2 preparation pulse comprises one or more waiting periods configured to provide an echo time.