Pulse sequence generation systems and methods of reducing acoustic noise in magnetic resonance systems

1. A pulse sequence generation computing device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the pulse sequence generation computing device comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, and the at least one processor programmed to:

receive a pulse sequence including a plurality of gradient pulses;

provide a pulse sequence threshold function that corresponds to an acoustic noise reduction level of acoustic noise produced by switching gradients in the MRI system, the pulse sequence threshold function indicating a plurality of threshold amplitudes of the gradient pulses and a plurality of threshold slew rates of the gradient pulses each associated with one of the plurality of threshold amplitudes;

for at least one gradient pulse in the pulse sequence, determine an amplitude of the gradient pulse and a slew rate of the gradient pulse;

determine a threshold amplitude corresponding to the determined slew rate and a threshold slew rate corresponding to the determined amplitude;

compare the determined amplitude to the threshold amplitude and the determined slew rate to the threshold slew rate; and

if the determined amplitude exceeds the amplitude threshold or the determined slew rate exceeds the slew rate threshold, the at least one processor configured to modify the gradient pulse by adjusting at least one of the amplitude and the slew rate of the gradient pulse to an amplitude and a slew rate as defined by the pulse sequence threshold function.

2. A pulse sequence generation computing device for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the pulse sequence generation computing device comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, and the at least one processor programmed to:

receive a pulse sequence including a plurality of gradient pulses;

provide a pulse sequence threshold function that corresponds to an acoustic noise reduction level of acoustic noise produced by switching gradients in the MRI system, the pulse sequence threshold function indicating a plurality of threshold amplitudes of the gradient pulses and a plurality of threshold slew rates of the gradient pulses each associated with one of the plurality of threshold amplitudes;

for each gradient pulse in the pulse sequence,

determine an amplitude of the gradient pulse and a slew rate of the gradient pulse;

determine a threshold amplitude corresponding to the determined slew rate and a threshold slew rate corresponding to the determined amplitude;

compare the determined amplitude to the threshold amplitude and the determined slew rate to the threshold slew rate; and

if the determined amplitude exceeds the amplitude threshold or the determined slew rate exceeds the slew rate threshold, the at least one processor configured to modify the gradient pulse by adjusting at least one of the amplitude and the slew rate of the gradient pulse to an amplitude and a slew rate as defined by the pulse sequence threshold function.

3. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to modify the gradient pulse by:

maintaining the amplitude at the determined amplitude; and adjusting the slew rate to be less than or equal to the threshold slew rate corresponding to the determined amplitude.

4. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to modify the gradient pulse by:

maintaining the slew rate at the determined slew rate; and

adjusting the amplitude to be less than or equal to the threshold amplitude corresponding to the determined slew rate.

5. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the least one processor is further configured to modify each gradient pulse in the pulse sequence by:

adjusting the amplitude to an amplitude selected in a range between the determined amplitude and the threshold amplitude; and

adjusting the slew rate to a slew rate corresponding to the adjusted amplitude and determined by the pulse sequence threshold function.

6. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the least one processor is further configured to modify each gradient pulse in the pulse sequence by:

adjusting the slew rate to a slew rate selected between the determined slew rate; and

adjusting the amplitude to an amplitude corresponding to the adjusted slew rate and determined by the pulse sequence threshold function.

7. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the threshold amplitude is provided by the pulse sequence threshold function as a linear function of a rise time of the gradient pulse, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select a first acoustic noise threshold of the MRI system; and

determine a first slope coefficient a and a first intercept coefficient b of the pulse sequence threshold function based on the selected first acoustic noise threshold.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the first slope coefficient a is between 1 and 300 Telsa per meter per second.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the first intercept coefficient b is between 0.001 and 1.0 Telsa per meter.

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the first acoustic noise threshold is selected based on a first MRI application, and wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a second slope coefficient a and a second intercept coefficient b associated with a second acoustic noise threshold for a second MRI application.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the second MRI application is a sleep study, the second acoustic noise threshold is less than the first acoustic noise threshold, and wherein the second slope coefficient a and a second intercept coefficient b are each less than the first slope coefficient a and the first intercept coefficient b, respectively, and wherein the second acoustic noise threshold is between 70 and 80 decibels.

12. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the modified pulse sequence to be generated by the MRI system.

13. A computer implemented method of generating a pulse sequence in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

receiving a pulse sequence including a plurality of gradient pulses;

providing a pulse sequence threshold function that corresponds to an acoustic noise reduction level of acoustic noise produced by switching gradients in the MRI system, the pulse sequence threshold function indicating a plurality of threshold amplitudes of the gradient pulses and a plurality of threshold slew rates of the gradient pulses each associated with one of the plurality of threshold amplitudes;

for each gradient pulse in the pulse sequence,

determining an amplitude of the gradient pulse and a slew rate of the gradient pulse;

determining a threshold amplitude corresponding to the determined slew rate and a threshold slew rate corresponding to the determined amplitude;

comparing the determined amplitude to the threshold amplitude and the determined slew rate to the threshold slew rate; and

modifying, if the determined amplitude exceeds the amplitude threshold or the determined slew rate exceeds the slew rate threshold, the gradient pulse by adjusting at least one of the amplitude and the slew rate of the gradient pulse to an amplitude and a slew rate as defined by the pulse sequence threshold function; and

causing the modified pulse sequence to be generated by the MRI system.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein modifying the gradient pulse further comprises:

maintaining the amplitude at the determined amplitude; and

adjusting the slew rate to be less than or equal to the threshold slew rate corresponding to the determined amplitude.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein modifying the gradient pulse further comprises:

maintaining the slew rate at the determined slew rate; and

adjusting the amplitude to be less than or equal to the threshold amplitude corresponding to the determined slew rate.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein modifying the gradient pulse further comprises:

adjusting the amplitude to an amplitude selected in a range between the determined amplitude and the threshold amplitude; and

adjusting the slew rate to a slew rate corresponding to the adjusted amplitude and determined by the pulse sequence threshold function.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein modifying the gradient pulse further comprises:

adjusting the slew rate to a slew rate selected between the determined slew rate; and

adjusting the amplitude to an amplitude corresponding to the adjusted slew rate and determined by the pulse sequence threshold function.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the threshold amplitude is provided by the pulse sequence threshold function as a linear function of a rise time of the gradient pulse, and wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a first acoustic noise threshold of the MRI system; and

determining a first slope coefficient a and a first intercept coefficient b of the pulse sequence threshold function based on the selected first acoustic noise threshold.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first slope coefficient a is between 50 and 200 Telsa per meter per second.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first intercept coefficient b is between .01 and .1 Telsa per meter.