Improved encoding pulses for Bloch-Siegert B1(+) mapping.

A new family of optimized encoding pulses for Bloch-Siegert (BS) |B(1)(+)| mapping is introduced, as well as an algorithm to design them. The pulses are designed by numerical maximization of BS sequence sensitivity, subject to constraints that ensure low on-resonance excitation. The pulses are in all cases characterized by a constant envelope and U-shaped frequency sweep. They are validated in simulations, 7T in vivo experiments, and an experiment to measure their on-resonance excitation, and are compared to a Fermi pulse conventionally used in the BS method. The pulses are shown to produce larger phase shifts in a shorter time and with lower on-resonance excitation than the Fermi pulse, which results in lower SAR and improved |B(1)(+)| accuracy in areas of the body with large main field inhomogeneities.