Simple phase method for measurement of magnetic field gradient waveforms

Magnetic field gradients play a fundamental role in MR imaging and localized spectroscopy. The MRI experiment, in particular fast MRI, relies on precise gradient switching, which has become more demanding with the constantly growing number of fast imaging techniques. Here we present a simple MR method to measure the behavior of a magnetic field gradient waveform in an MR scanner. The method employs excitation of a thin slice, followed by application of the studied gradient and simultaneous FID acquisition. Measurements of different gradient waveforms were performed with a spherical phantom filled with doped water and positioned at the isocenter of the gradient set. The presented experiments demonstrate the capability of the technique to measure different gradient waveforms with an estimated error of less than 200 microT/m.