A new approach for on-resonance magnetization transfer parameter optimization

On-resonance radio frequency pulse sequences for magnetization transfer are optimized using a frequency domain approach. The method presented here was developed using binomial pulses and it is demonstrated that a simple analysis leads to accurate sequence parameters that can be used directly for magnetic resonance imaging. With thus optimized parameters it is possible to produce an efficient saturation of protons having short transverse relaxation time while protons with long transverse relaxation time are kept nearly unaffected by the radio frequency. The method is particularly well suited to the design of new magnetization transfer sequences and to the estimation of the limits of the accuracy of a T2 selection. Additionally in vitro tests have been performed on beef tendon oriented with a zero fiber to field angle.