Method and magnetic resonance apparatus for maxwell compensation in simultaneous multislice data acquisitions

1. A method for acquiring magnetic resonance (MR) data, comprising:

using a computer to operate an MR data acquisition scanner to execute a simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) MR data acquisition sequence wherein MR signals are acquired simultaneously from S slices, of a total of N slices of an examination subject, each of said N slices having a same thickness, by simultaneously exciting or refocusing said S slices with S being an SMS acceleration factor, said S slices respectively being at different positions from an isocenter of the data acquisition scanner and thereby causing said MR signals to be affected differently by Maxwell terms of magnetic fields in said data acquisition scanner that give said MR signals respective signal dephasings that are dependent on the distance of a respective slice from the isocenter;

using said computer to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence with a respective spacing between said S slices, among said N slices, being less than N/S slices;

via said computer, entering the acquired MR signals as numerical values representing k-space data in an electronic memory;

in said computer applying a Maxwell correction algorithm to said k-space data by calculating Maxwell correction gradient moments at an average position between said S slices, and thereby generating corrected k-space data wherein the respective signal dephasing of the respective MR signals from said S slices is reduced; and

via said computer, making said corrected k-space data available from said memory in electronic form as a data file.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising using said computer to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence with N/S=1.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising using said computer to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence with N/S approaching a value of 1 as a limit.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising using said computer to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence as a diffusion-weighted MR data acquisition sequence.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 comprising using said computer to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said diffusion weighted MR data acquisition sequence with a b factor of 1000 and with N=12, with each slice having a 10 mm slice thickness, and with N/S being 20 mm.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 comprising using said computer to reconstruct image data from said corrected k-space data in said data file by applying a GeneRalized Autocalibrating Partial Parallel Acquisition (GRAPPA) reconstruction algorithm to said corrected k-space data.

7. A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus, comprising:

an MR data acquisition scanner;

a computer configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute a simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) MR data acquisition sequence wherein MR signals are acquired simultaneously from S slices, of a total of N slices of an examination subject, each of said N slices having a same thickness, by simultaneously exciting or refocusing said S slices with S being an SMS acceleration factor, said S slices respectively being at different positions from an isocenter of the data acquisition scanner and thereby causing said MR signals to be affected differently by Maxwell terms of magnetic fields in said data acquisition scanner that give said MR signals respective signal dephasings that are dependent on the distance of a respective slice from the isocenter;

said computer being configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence with a respective spacing between said S slices, among said N slices, being less than N/S slices;

an electronic memory in communication with said computer;

said computer being configured to enter the acquired MR signals as numerical values representing k-space data in said electronic memory;

said computer being configured to apply a Maxwell correction algorithm to said k-space data by calculating Maxwell correction gradient moments at an average position between said S slices, and thereby generating corrected k-space data wherein the respective signal dephasing of the respective MR signals from said S slices is reduced; and

said computer being configured to make said corrected k-space data available from said memory in electronic form as a data file.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said computer is configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence with N/S=1.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said computer is configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence with N/S approaching a value of 1 as a limit.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 comprising using said computer to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said SMS MR data acquisition sequence as a diffusion-weighted MR data acquisition sequence.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said computer is configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to execute said diffusion weighted MR data acquisition sequence with a b factor of 1000 and with N=12, with each slice having a 10mm slice thickness, and with N/S being 20 mm.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said computer is configured to reconstruct image data from said corrected k-space data in said data file by applying a GeneRalized Autocalibrating Partial Parallel Acquisition (GRAPPA) reconstruction algorithm to said corrected k-space data.