Measuring the vibrational response of a high performance gradient coil

The vibrational response of a gradient coil in a magnetic resonance imaging system to a pulse of current gives rise to additional currents driven by the electromotive force generated by the motion of the gradient coil windings through the field. These vibration induced fields can be detected directly via a dynamic field camera and the frequency spectrum of these fields is characteristic of the gradient coil mechanical structure and its mounting. The following describes the measurement and analysis of these fields via this method. The measurements obtained herein are compared with the manufacturer's designated lockout frequencies, chosen to minimize the potential for excessive vibration and damage to the gradient coil based on prior measurements by the manufacturer during the initial system design.