engLöwen, DanielPracht, Eberhard DVeldmann, MartenGras, VincentMauconduit, FranckBoulant, NicolasStöcker, TonyCalibration-Free GRAPE pTx Pulses for Homogeneous Spatial-Selective Excitation at 7T.info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/610Phantoms, ImagingHumansAlgorithmsMagnetic Resonance Imaging: methodsSignal-To-Noise RatioCalibrationImage Processing, Computer-Assisted: methodsComputer SimulationBrain: diagnostic imagingGRAPEparallel transmissionultra‐high fielduniversal pulsesExtend the universal pulse GRAPE formalism to pulses with a defined spectral response, and apply the concept to spatial selection.We added Bloch simulations at several frequencies for each voxel to the pulse calculation to create universal spectrally-selective GRAPE pulses. With a superimposed constant gradient field spatial selection was achieved. The method was tested in slice- and slab-selective imaging experiments.Universal spatially-selective GRAPE pulses increased FA homogeneity and SNR. In 2D gradient echoes, the SNR could be increased by approximately 6% compared to CP pulses, and in a slab-selective TSE sequence, the SNR increased by 29% against k T -spokes pulses. Additionally, the slab-selective GRAPE pulse proved to be more robust against B 0 deviations and is significantly shorter in comparison to k T -spokes pulses while maintaining a similar FA homogeneity.Spatially-selective universal GRAPE pulses exhibit superior performance compared to k T -spokes pulses. These short and robust pTx pulses hold potential for enhancing a wide range of imaging applications, thereby advancing 7T MRI technology closer to clinical use.Magnetic resonance in medicine 95(6), 3104 - 3115 (2026). doi:10.1002/mrm.70266info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionWiley-Liss2026info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessDEhttps://pub.dzne.de/record/285914https://pub.dzne.de/search?p=id:%22DZNE-2026-00360%22Researchersinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0740-3194info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1002/mrm.70266info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/1522-2594info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/pmid:41588662