The design of practical selective pulses for magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy using SPINCALC

Recently, we introduced a new numerical approach to the design and optimization of NMR selective pulses, which we have christened “SPINCALC” (J. T. Ngo and P. G. Morris, Biochem. Soc. Trans. 14, 1271 (1986); J. T. Ngo and P. G. Morris, Magn. Reson. Med. 5, 217(1987)). The first practical application of pulses generated by SPINCALC is demonstrated on a standard 0.5‐T clinical MRI system. Results are shown for single phase π pulses suitable both for selective inversion and for selective refocusing. The extension of SPINCALC to multidimensional pulses is illustrated by the design of a two‐dimensional π pulse. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.