Abstract: Gradient coils generate gradient magnetic fields that are essential in the magnetic response imaging. The gradient coils are usually designed by the target field method. In this work, we attempted to design matrix gradient coils with particle swarm optimization and the genetic algorithm. Finite element simulation calculation demonstrated that the average non-uniformity in the x and y directions was 0.851%, and the average non-uniformity in the z direction was 1.013%.

Key words: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particle swarm algorithm, genetic algorithm, finite element, gradient magnetic fields