AbstractA generalized parallel imaging method has been developed that uses coil profiles to generate missing k‐space lines. The proposed method is an extension of SMASH, which uses linear combinations of coil sensitivity profiles to synthesize spatial harmonics. In the generalized SMASH approach described here, coil sensitivity profiles are represented directly in the Fourier domain to provide a general description of the spatial properties of the coils. This removes restrictions imposed by conventional SMASH, so that the choice and position of the receiver coils can be made on the basis of sensitivity to the volume of interest rather than suitability for constructing spatial harmonics. Generalized SMASH also intrinsically allows the freedom to accommodate acquisitions with uniform or nonuniform k‐space sampling. The proposed method places SMASH on an equal footing with other parallel imaging techniques (SENSE and SPACE‐RIP), while combining strengths from each. The method was tested on phantom and human data and provides a robust method of data recovery. Magn Reson Med 47:160–170, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.