Minimal-SAR RF Pulse Optimization in Parallel Transmission

Yinan Liu^1,2, Jim Ji¹

Parallel transmission is an emerging technique to achieve multi-dimensional spatially selective excitation from multiple channels. Minimizing SAR is a critical issue for parallel transmission. In this paper, we presented an automatic method to obtain the minimal SAR by optimizing the k-space trajectory in a Lagrange function. The method is verified using computer simulations of a 4-channel parallel transmission system. The results showed significant reduction in SAR can be achieved without enlonging the pulse duration.