Spatial Phase Encoding Using a Bloch-Siegert Shift Gradient

Ralf Kartusch¹, Florian Fidler¹, Toni Driele¹, Thomas Kampf², Thomas C. Basse-Lsebrink, ¹², Uvo C. Hoelscher¹, Peter M. Jakob, ¹², Xavier Helluy²

In this work we introduce a robust RF only spatial encoding method, which is mimicking conventional phase encoding using B0-gradients by exploiting the properties of spatially dependent Bloch-Siegert phase shifts induced by a RF gradient coil. Being a RF only encoding technique it has immunity against eddy currents and very short switching time. The application of BS-gradients are not restricted in principle to spatial phase encoding and could be for example applied to flow or diffusion measurements.