JUSAY, JERICK G.

MRI MIDTERMS PERMANENT MAGNETS

IMAGING EQUIPMENT • Bricklike ceramics are assembled for use in MRI and
provides about 0.3 Tesla
• Production of uniform magnetic fields fashion is difficult
• The capital cost is much lower with an operating cost of
nearly zero.
• Mainly seen in OPEN MRI scanners such as Hitachi
AIRIS
• Does not require cooling system
Physically, a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite
resembles a computed tomography (CT) scan facility

Resemblance include the large gantry, with an attached

movable patient couch, MRI console, associated computer and
power supplies are located in separate rooms

Resemblance is however purely superficial

RESISITIVE MAGNETS
• A simple current-carrying wire loop produces a magnetic
field
• With about 4 large coils of around 1.5 meters in diameter
are arranged concentrically so that magnetic field within
the coil is sufficiently uniform for MRI
IMAGING MAGNETS

In MRI, the patient is placed in a uniform magnetic field in the

aperture of the gantry

The types of magnets suitable for MR imaging can be

classified into three groups:

1. Permanent magnets
2. Resistive magnets
3. Superconductive magnets • The coils must be both precisely manufactured and
carefully positioned to meet the required field homogeneity
IMAGING MAGNETS • MRI requires fairly large magnetic fields
• Magnetic fields of the coils push strongly against one
Imaging magnets can be can be categorized in terms of their
another, requiring the coils be mounted on a rigid
field strength e
framework to reduce mechanical distortion
• Ultrahigh field (4.0 to 7.0 Tesla): Mainly used for • Continuous electric power on the order of 80 kW is
research required to energize these resistive coils
• High field (1.5 to 3.0 Tesla) • The wires used in such coils is a good conductor, but not a
• Midfield (0.5 to 1.4 Tesla) perfect conductor.
• Low field (0.2 to 0.4 Tesla) • Magnets have some small but finite resistance, and they
• Ultralow Field (<0.2 Tesla) are called resistive magnets.
• Due to resistance, heat is still produced.
JUSAY, JERICK G.

• Resistive magnets must be water cooled. DEWAR

• Such as the .23 T Philips Panorama and the Fonar 0.6 T • Inside the dewar are two chambers
Standup • The outermost chamber is filled with liquid nitrogen that
• They are based on the principles of electromagnetism has a temperature of 77 K (-196.15 Celsius Degree)
• Electric current running through a coil produces magnetic • The liquid nitrogen acts as an intermediate insulator
field between the room temperature on the outside and the
• Magnets can be turned off and on interior chamber
• The interior chamber is filled with liquid helium at 4.2
Kelvin (-269 Celsius Degree)
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS • Superconducting coils are suspended in this bath of liquid
• In 1960’s it was discovered that certain types of metal helium
alloys will become perfect conductors • Separating the cryogenic chambers from each other and
• These conductors will have no resistance to passage of an from the environment are vacuum chambers
electric current when their temperature is dropped to
approximately 10 Kelvin
• At room temperature, these materials will behave like a
normal conductor
• At cryogenic state, they will become superconductors
• They contain coils made from a superconducting metal
alloy
• They are from electromagnets
• There would be almost no resistance in their wires
• It allows the use of very high current to generate a high SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS
magnetic field without generating significant heat
• Most of the scanners available today are superconducting • Liquid Nitrogen and Liquid Helium gradually evaporate. It
magnets is maintained from replenishment periodically
• Cryogenerator collects vaporized helium them
ADVANTAGES: recompress to liquid state for reuse
• There is no problem with Heat dissipation because there is
no resistance
• Since the loop of wire have no resistance, no energy is SECONDARY COILS
lost
• It does not require water-cooling system
• It can produce up to 4 Tesla

DISADVANTAGES:
• Difficulty of maintaining the magnet coils at near absolute
zero

To resolve, the entire coil assembly must be housed inside a

giant, highly insulated container with a smooth, shiny exterior
like a thermos called DEWAR

SHIM COILS (GRADIENT COIL)

• Homogeneity of magnetic is the primary requirement for

an imaging magnet
• A 1T magnet should produce a field in the imaging volume
varying by not more than +/- 50 microTesla or 50 ppm
• If the homogeneity is worse than this, image quality will be
degraded
• Used to create a more uniform external magnetic field
• It is a drum with 30 individual windings positioned inside
the aperture of the main magnet
• Each winding has its own power supply Magnet Shimming
• It is the adjustment of the current and polarity to produce
maximum homogeneity of the main magnetic field
JUSAY, JERICK G.

QUADRATURE COILS • X, Y and Z gradient coils are used for the selection of
• There are two receivers in 90 degrees to one another coronal slice for selection of oblique slices
• Distinguishes real and imaginary components of the
received signals PLANE OF IMAGING
• Can improve the SNR by a factor of square root of 2 Selection of gradient coils along x-, y-, z- and z- is arbitrary
• Z axis is along the long axis of the magnet in craniocaudal
SOLENOID COILS • Y axis to be in posteroanterior direction
• Can be wrapped around the patient and increase SNR • X axis to be from right to left
• Usually used in lower field magnets
• Has a vertically oriented magnetic field GRADIENT COILS
• In Two-dimensional Fourier Transformation (2DFT)
PHASED-ARRAY COILS imaging of transverse anatomy, Z gradient is switched on
• Contains multiple small surface coils during the excitation RF pulse to select appropriate slices
• Positioned on either side of the anatomy of interest • While receiving the MRi signals, the X and Y gradient coils
• Allows faster scanning with finer details will be turned on in sequence
• The X gradient conventionally is termed the “frequency-
IMAGING GRADIENT COILS encoding” gradient and the Y gradient the “phase
• Produces gradient magnetic field, a slight variation of encoding gradient”
magnetic field. To obtain projections from a variety of • The plane of the scan can be determined totally
directions, gradient magnetic field along the x, y and z electronically
axes must be oriented • The MRI imager has no moving parts and can produce
• THREE ORTHOGONAL GRADIENTS ARE USED multiplanar images
CORRESPONDING THE AXES X, Y AND Z • The gradient coils are usually embedded in a ring fitting
snugly inside the shim coils within the patient aperture
• Causes an intentional perturbation of the magnetic field
homogeneity
• Perturbation is usually in linear fashion which allows
spatial information recognition and localization in its space
• Variation in external magnetic field will allow spatial
encoding

RF PROBES
• Same antenna coil that transmits the RF pulse into the
patient is also used to detect the MRI signals
• The shape of the antenna itself can range from a simple
coil of wire to complex, three-dimensional, figure-eight
They are referred to as:
shapes.
1. Slice-select gradient
• The most popular coil configuration is the saddle-shaped
2. Phase-encoding gradient
coil
3. Frequency-encoding gradient
• They are usually embedded in plastic, fiberglass, or some
other insulator
• The RF probe is located inside the gradient coils and
closest to the patient
• A transmitter coil sends or transmits and RF pulse
• A receiver coil receives an RF impulse
• Some coils are both transmitter and receiver (surface
coils)
• The body coil is a fixed part of the magnet that surrounds
the patient
• A head coil is a helmet like device that surrounds the
• Z-gradient coils are used for selection of transverse slice patient’s head (Transceiver)
• When the Z gradient is “on”, the RF pulse can be precisely • Surface coil improves signal to noise ratio in ROI
tuned so that only the hydrogen nuclei in a given slice
patient are energized
• The strength of gradient magnetic field and the shape of
the RF pulse determine the width of the slice selected
• X gradient are used for the selection of coronal slice
• Y gradient coils are selected for sagittal slices
JUSAY, JERICK G.

FACILITY DESIGN

Non-magnetic materials should be used for the structure and

finish of the examination room

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reinforcing rods should be

substituted for iron reinforcing bars in any structural concrete
slab or walls

All electrical penetrations into the room must have electrical

filters to remove interfering frequencies

Plumbing should not be iron but PVC or copper Lighting

should be direct current.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELDING
• The range of RF used in MRI is very crowded with
commercial and amateur radio broadcasts and other
interference generated by power transmission and
electronic system
• Interferences can easily be strong enough to mask the
faint MRI signals front the patient.
• A carefully constructed wire-mesh shield, called Faraday
Cage (RF Shield) enclosing the MR imager is necessary
to attenuate these extraneous sources of RF
• Faraday cage can be concealed by gypsum board or wood
paneling.
• Shielding screens outside sources of RF interference

MAGNETIC SHIELDING
• The external magnetic field Bo is very intense and
consist of closed imaginary lines of magnetic field
• The magnetic field outside the patient aperture is called
the fringe magnetic field
• Fringe magnetic field can interfere with proper operation of
nearby mechanical and electronic equipment
• Any large mass of ferromagnetic material can distort the
homogeneity of the imaging volume by interacting with the
fringe magnetic field
• A distortion of the fringe magnetic field results in a
compensating distortion in the imaging volume and
degrades the image
• Addition of an iron wall reduces the intensity of the fringe
magnetic field and degrades the homogeneity of the
imaging field
JUSAY, JERICK G.

MRI IMAGING TECHNIQUES

REVIEW OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES IN MRI

• NMR is a chemical analytical technique and later on
developed into MRI
• Electromagnetic waves
• Spin and Electromagnetic Field
• Magnetic Susceptibility of a substance is a measure of
tendency of being magnetized
• Resonance
• Relaxation Time
• FID detection, collection and measurement
• Static and gradient magnetic field
• A self-shielded magnet is one that has iron positioned as
an integral part of the magnet rather than in the walls of Felix Bloch theorized that spinning charged particle creates an
the examination room electromagnetic field
• An actively shielded magnet has in the helium chamber
additional superconducting windings that have reverse Why Hydrogen?
electrical polarity. • Odd number of proton (one proton)
• The reversal of electric current creates an opposing • Abundance
magnetic field that result to reduction of total fringe
magnetic field
• Bo field is maintained with even improved homogeneity

SAGITTAL
• Slice select: x
• Phase-encoding: y
• Frequency-encoding: z
CORONAL
• Slice-select: y
• Phase-encoding: x
• Frequency encoding: z
JUSAY, JERICK G.

AXIAL Mo A partial flip is achieved by decreasing either the

• Slice-select: z strength or the duration of RF pulse
• Phase-encoding: y • A 180 degrees pulse exactly reverses the equilibrium
• Frequency-encoding: x northward-pointing excess without inducing phase
coherence (transverse magnetization)

T1 RELAXATION TIME
• Longitudinal relaxation time; Thermal Relaxation time
• Refers to the time it takes for the spins to realign along the
longitudinal (z)-axis
• It is the spin-lattice relaxation time
• Refers to the time it takes for the spin to give energy they
obtain from RF pulse back to the surrounding lattice in
order to go back to equilibrium state

• After 90 degrees pulse, magnetization Mxy precesses

within the X-y plane, oscillating around the z-axis with all
protons rotating in phase
• After magnetization has been flipped 90 degrees into the
x-y plane, RF pulse is turned off
• Every system seeks its lowest energy level
1. The spin will go back to the lowest energy state
2. The spins will get out of phase with each other
• A time constant that characterizes the rate at which the Mz
component recovers its initial magnetization Mo.

T1 RELAXATION TIME
• These events result from two simultaneous but separate
processes occurring after the RF pulse is turned off
1. The Mxy component of the magnetization vector
decreases rapidly
2. The Mxy component slowly recovers along the z-axis
Due to static magnetic field (Bo) the spins line up in the
direction of Z T2 RELAXATION TIME
This results in Net Magnetization • A time constant the characterizes the rate at which the
Mxy component decays
90 DEGREES RADIOFREQUENCY PULSE • As the longitudinal magnetization vector Mz recovers, the
• Due to Static magnetic field (Bo) the spins line up in the transverse vector Mxy decays at the rate
direction of Z • The recovery magnetization along the z-axis and the
• This results in Net Magnetization decay of magnetization within the x-y plane are two
• A pulsed external RF will flip the magnetization vector 90 independent processes at two different rates
degrees into the x-y plane (Mxy) • T2 decay occurs 5S to 10 times more rapidly than T1
• Protons that are aligned with the Bo are in two energy recovery
states • It is the transverse relaxation time; Spin-spin relaxation
time
180 DEGREES RADIOFREQUENCY PULSE
• After 180 degrees pulse, the longitudinal magnetization After the 90 degrees RF pulse is turned off, all spins are in
vector is inverted phase, there are two phenomena that will make the spins get
• Has a twice power and twice the duration of 90 degrees out of phase
RF 1. Interaction Between Individual Spins
• After a 180 degrees RF pulse, the excess north-pointing -When two spins are next to each other, the magnetic
spins are boosted from low energy state to high energy field of one proton affects the proton next to it
state -the precessional frequency will be influenced by an
• A 180 degrees pulse exactly reverses the equilibrium adjacent proton
northward-pointing excess without inducing phase -first cause of dephasing is inherent in the tissue and
coherence (transverse magnetization) it is called a spin-spin interaction
2. External Magnetic Field Inhomogeneity
PARTIAL FLIP -inhomogeneity makes protons in different locations
• Flip less than 90 degrees precessses at different frequencies because each
• In case, the component of magnetization ending up in the spin is exposed to magnetic field strength
x-y plane is less than the magnitude of the original Vector -varying frequencies are very close to each other and
very close to the true Larmor Frequency
JUSAY, JERICK G.

-tiny differences in frequency results in spin • TR and Te are related intimately to the tissue parameters
dephasing T1 and T2
• However, Tl and T2 are inherent, while TE and TR are
Two causes of spin dephasing: controllable and adjustable
a. Spin-spin interactions (Internal Inhomogeneities) • Appropriate TR and TE can enable more “weight” on T1
b. External magnetic field inhomogeneities and T2, depending on clinical applications
• These phenomena together cause protons to spin slightly • Received signal can be detected only along the direction
different frequencies of the
• Assuming there are 3 protons • RF transmitter/receiver coil
Proton 1: precessing at the true Larmor frequency • The receiver coil only recognizes oscillating signals (AC
Proton 2: Exposed in a slightly higher magnetic fields, voltage), thus rotation in x-y plane induces a signal in the
precessing at frequency slightly faster than the Larmor RF coil
frequency
Proton 3: Exposed to slightly weaker magnetic fields TR, TE AND TISSUE CONTRAST
precessing at a frequency slightly lower than the Larmor • At time t=0, the signal is at a maximum
frequency • As time goes by, the signal become weaker in sinusoidal
manner, because of dephasing.
T2 RELAXATION TIME
• If the three protons in the x-y plane gets completely out of TR (REPETITION TIME)
phase. The net magnetic field within the x-y plane will go • It is the time between the the applications of RF pulse
to O • During successive 90 degrees RF pulse, the following
• At time t=0, all spins in phase, and their vector sum will be occurs to the T1 recovery curve.
at maximum magnitude a. Before time t=0, the magnetization vector points along
• As spins dephase with each other, their summation vector the z-axis (vector Mo with Magnitude Mo)
will become smaller and smaller b. After Time t=0, magnetization vector Mxy lies in the x-
• When all spins are completely out of phase with each y plane, without a component along the Z-axis. Mxy
other, their vector sum will become zero has magnitude at t=0
• The effect of spin-spin interaction depends to a degree on c. Upon reaching TR, gradual recovery of magnetization
the proximity of the spins to each other occur along Z-axis and lost of magnetization in the x-y
• Dephasing effect on spin-spin interaction might not be as plane occurs
prominent in water as it is in solid tissue d. Mz at TR is less than the original magnetization vector
Mo due to the second 90 degrees RF pulse before
THE RECEIVED SIGNAL complete recover of Mz
• The RF coil is often both transmitter and receiver e. After magnetization is flipped back into the x-y plane.
• The signal is received at the same location at which it is It will grow again along the z-axis until the next TR it
transmitted will again be flipped into the x-y plane
• The frequency of received signal is at Larmor Frequency
• Free induction decay (FID) After RF is turned off: TR (REPETITION TIME)- RECEIVED SIGNAL
1. The spin begin to precess freely 1. At time t=0, the initial signal will be strong FID
2. The signal starts to decay with time 2. At time t=TR, the signal will be slightly less in magnitude but
3. The spins induce a current in the receiver coil will also be an FID
• The FID results from an oscillating magnetic field 3. At time t=2TR, the signal will be equal in magnitude
generated by the oscillating spins which induces current in • For a given tissue, the T1 and proton density are constant
the signal • FID acquired at TR intervals are maximal if the can be
measured right after 90 degrees RF pulse or right at the
THE RECEIVED SIGNAL beginning of FID
• The general form of the received signal is based on: a. A
varying oscillating signal TE (ECHO DELAY TIME OR TIME TO ECHO)
b. A decaying signal, which decays with time constant T2* • A short time period wherein in RF pulse is measured short
after rather than immediately
T2 DEPENDS ON: • In T2* curve FID signals at the x-y plane decays rapidly
a. External magnetic field due to:
b. Spin-spin interactions 1. External magnetic field inhomogeneity
c. Inhomogeneity of external magnetic field 2. Spin-spin interaction
• T1 recovery and T2 decay processes occur
T2* decay depends primary on spin-spin interaction simultaneously
T2* is always less than the T2 • T2 decay curve (time scale TE) will be decaying much
T2* decay is always faster than T2 decay faster than the T1 curve in recovering (time scale TR)

TR, TE AND TISSUE CONTRAST

• To obtain optimal spatial information, the process of
acquisition must be repeated multiple times
JUSAY, JERICK G.

TISSUE CONTRAST T1 AND T2 WEIGHTING D. Proteinaceous Solutions

-Most of the H20 in the body is not in the pure state
T1 AND T2 WEIGHTING but is bound to a hydrophilic molecule such as protein
• A long TR will eliminate the T1 component -Hydration layer water (H20 molecules form hydration
• Long TR reduces the T! effect layers around the macromolecule
• With TR at 2000 - 3000 msec, T1 effect is minimized -These bound of H20 molecules lose some of the
• Short TR enhances the T1 contrast freedom on their motion resulting to a natural motional
• Short TE=TE1 frequencies almost equal to the Larmor Frequency
• Long TE=TE2 – gives more contrast -This yielding more efficient energy transfer
• A very short TE will eliminate the T2* effect -This results in shortening the T1 relaxation
-Proteinaceous fluid (hydration layer water) are bright
• Short TE reduces T2* effect
than water in T1l-weighted images
• Long TE enhances T2* contrast
-If the protein content is high enough, hydration water
can cause T2 shortening generally seen in gels and
T2 CHARACTERISTICS (TISSUE CONTRAST)
mucinous fluids
• It is determined by how fast the proton spin in that tissue
-Such fluid may appear darker than pure fluid on T2-
dephase
weighted images
• If tissue dephase rapidly, short T2 is obtained -T1 for H20 and solid is long, the energy transfer is
• If they dephase more slowly, longer T2 is obtained not efficient, because the difference between the
A. On water Larmor Frequency and natural motional frequencies
- Because of structure and sparsity of these of H proton in H20 is greeted than H protons in solid
molecules, spin-=spin interaction among H protons is tissue
minimal -T1 and T2 curves
- Therefore, dephasing occurs at a much slower rate - Fat has the shortest T1 and will have the steepest
in water compared with tissues T1 recovery curve
B. On solids - Proteinaceous fluid also has a short T1
- Solid is very compact, with many interactions - H2O has the longest T1 and will have the slowest T1
between H protons recovery curve
- Larger number of Spin-spin interaction results in - Solid tissue has intermediate T1
more dephasing
- T2 for solid is short At TR, another RF is transmitted
C. On fat and Proteinaceous 1. H20 has a very long T2, so it will have a very shallot
-Structure of these materials is such that there is less T2 decay curve
dephasing than in solids but more dephasing in water 2. Solid tissue has short T2 and will decay fairly rapidly
- T2 for proteinaceous material or fat is intermediate 3. Fat has an intermediate T2
4. Proteinaceous fluid may have a short or intermediate
T1 CHARACTERISTICS T2 depending in the protein content
• T1 of a tissue has something to do with the way the
protons are able to give off their energy to the surrounding D. Proteinaceous Solutions
lattice or to absorb the energy from the lattice - Therefore, with a long enough TE
• The most efficient energy transfer occurs when the natural 1. H2O has the highest signal intensity
motional frequencies of the protons are at the Larmor 2. Solid tissue has the lowest signal intensity
frequency 3. Fat has an intermediate signal intensity
A. On water 4. Proteinaceous fluid has an intermediate or low signal
- H protons in small H20 molecule have higher natural intensity depending on its protein content ab
motional frequencies - If the TE is really short, T1 or proton density effect is obtained
- Natural motional frequency of H protons in water is 1. Fat has the highest intensity
also much faster than the Larmor frequency for 2. Proteinaceous fluid has high intensity similar to fat
hydrogen 3. Solid tissue has intermediate intensity
B. On solids 4. H20 has the lowest intensity
- H protons in solid have lower natural motional
frequencies of H protons in solid and somewhat D. Proteinaceous Solutions
slower than the Larmor frequency for hydrogen 1. T1 weighted- TR and TE are short
C. Fat 2. T2 weighted- TR and TE are long
- H protons in fat have natural motional frequencies 3. Proton Density weighted- TR is long and TE is short
that are almost equal to the Larmor Frequencies used • Brain tissues in a T1 recovery curve
in MRI 1. White matter is bright. The myelin sheaths acts like
-It is caused by rotational frequency of carbons fat; with more efficient energy exchange, it has a
around the terminal C-C bond shorter longitudinal relaxation than does gray matter
-Efficiency of energy transfer from the protons to the 2. Gray matter is intermediate; without myelin, it acts
lattice or from the lattice to the protons is increased, more like a typical solid tissue
thus decreasing T1
JUSAY, JERICK G.

3. CSF is dark; like water, it has inefficient energy SCAN PARAMETERS

exchange and thus same long longitudinal relaxation,
T1 1. Signal-to-Noise Ratio
1. CSF, like H20 has the least dephasing, and thus the
longest T2 • Depends on voxel volume (x*y*z)
2. White matter has a slightly shorter T2 than gray • Depends on # of excitation
matter • # of phase -encoding steps
• # of frequency-encoding steps
• Full Bandwidth

2. Number of Excitation (NEX)

• It is the frequency of repeated scan

3. Ny

• Number of phase-encoding steps

• If Ny is doubled, SNR increases by factor of 41%

Voxel volume

• Proportional to proton spins and signal from the

voxel

SNR can be increased by:

1. Increasing TR
2. Decreasing TE
3. Using lower BW
4. Using volume imaging
5. Increasing NEX, Ny and Nx
6. Increasing voxel size

4. Bandwidth (BW)

• BW and SNR are inversely proportional

• Wider BW, more noise, lower SNR
• Lower BW will result to:

1. Higher SNR
2. Increased chemical shift artifact
3. Longer minimum TE (Less signal due to more
T2 decay)
4. Decreased number of slices due to longer TE

5. Resolution

• It is the minimum distance that can distinguish

between two points on an image
• A better resolution means poorer SNR
• Increasing Ny will make the pixel size smaller thus
decreasing SNR and increasing the FOV
JUSAY, JERICK G.

6. TR PULSE SEQUENCE
Increase in TR will result to: • A sequence of radio frequency RF) pulses applied
• Increase SNR repeatedly during an R study
• Increase in coverage • Embedded in it are TR and TE time parameters
• Decreases T1 weighting • Related to a timing diagram or pulse sequence
• Increases proton density and T2 weighting diagram (PSD)
• Increases scan time

7. TE
Increasing TE will result to:
• Increases T2 weighting
• Increases dephasing and decrease SNR
• Decrease number of possible slices
• No change in scan time

8. Coverage
• It is the distance covered by a multislice acquisition Saturation
• Depends on the number of slices, slice thickness • After the longitudinal magnetization has been flipped
and interslice gap into the x-y plane by 90 degrees pulse, the system is
said to be saturated.
Coverage is increased with: • Application of a second 90 degrees pulse during
• Increased slice thickness, interslice gap and TR saturation will elicit no signal
• Decreased last TE and Sampling time • After T1 recovery, the system is partially saturated.
• With complete T1 recovery, to the plateau value, the
system is said to be unsaturated or fully
Scan Parameters • If the magnetization is partially flipped into the x-y
plane, there is still a component of magnetization
• Primary parameters are those that are set directly:
along the z-axis. At this point, spins are in the state
• Contributing factor to image contrast: TR; TE; TI
of partial saturation
FA (flip angle)
• Contributing factor to coverage: Slice Thickness;
PARTIAL SATURATION PULSE SEQUENCE
Interslice Gap
• Starts with 90 degrees RF pulse, short period TR
and followed by application of another 90 degrees
Contributing factors to SNR
pulse.
• Number of excitations or Acquisitions (NEX)
• This sequence is repeated
• Contributing factors to spacing in x and y direction
• Measurements are obtained immediately after the 90
1. FOVx
degrees RF pulse
2. FOVy
• Signals received are in FID
3. Nx- # of frequency encoding steps
4. Ny- # of phase encoding steps

Scan Parameters
• Secondary parameters are used to describe
images
1. S/N ratio (SNR)
2. Scan time
3. Coverage
4. Resolution
5. Image Contrast

• The longitudinal magnetization vector before the 2nd

90 degrees RF pulse is less than the original
longitudinal magnetization vector
• A third 90 degrees RF pulse will again flip the
longitudinal magnetization into x-y plane
JUSAY, JERICK G.

• Again, the longitudinal magnetization goes down to • FID gives the maximum signal each time, due to the
zero and immediately begins to recover complete recovery of longitudinal magnetization
• Time 2TR is less than maximum but equal to the before the next 90 degrees pulse
previous longitudinal magnetization at time TR)
• Each subsequent recovery time TR after each Saturation and Saturation Recovery Pulse
subsequent 90 degrees pulse will also be the same Sequences
• The maximum FID occurs at time t=0 after the first • They are not really used anymore, but are helpful to
90 degrees RF pulse learn about the more complex pulse sequences
• All subsequent FIDs will have less magnitude but will • They are not utilized anymore because
have the same value measurement of FID is difficult without a delay
• At time t=TR, longitudinal magnetization grows but period
does not totally recover its plateau before flipped
back to x-y plane at time TR just before the next 90 Inversion Recovery Pulse Sequence
degrees RF pulse, there are NO residual transverse
magnetization Mxy.
• T1 is several times larger than T2, after a time TR is
elapsed, the magnetization in the x-y plane has fully
decayed
• In partial saturation, TE is minimal and TR is short • First, a 180 degrees RF pulse is applied
• The signal is measured immediately after the 90 • After the inversion time TI, a 90 degrees RF pulse is
degrees RF pulse applied
• Images are T1 weighted with short TR and minimal
TE
• Therefore, a partial saturation pulse sequence
generates T1 weighted images • After a period of time TR (from the initial 180 pulse),
• It is called partial saturation pulse sequence another 180 degrees RF pulse is applied, beginning
because at the time of second 90 degrees RF pulse, a new sequence
there is no complete recovery of longitudinal • Before 180 degrees RF pulse is applied,
magnetization magnetization vector points along the z-axis

Saturation Recovery Pulse Sequence

• After the 180 degrees RF pulse, the magnetization

vector is flipped 180 degrees pointing at opposite
direction
• In saturation recovery, all the longitudinal • The magnetization vector recovers along a T1
magnetization is ideally recovered before a second growth curve
90 degrees RF pulse is applied • As it recovers, the magnetization vector gets smaller
• The complete recovery will result to longer TR and smaller in the -z direction until it reaches zero
• In saturation recovery, TR is long and TE is minimal • The magnetization vector then grows song the +z
• Images in saturation recovery pulse sequence will direction and recovers to the original longitudinal
generate Proton Density Weighted (PDW) images. magnetization
• TR is long and TE is minimal • After TI, 90 degrees RF pulse is applied, this flips
the longitudinal magnetization into the x-y plane
• After each 90 degrees RF pulse, signals in FID are • The amount of magnetization flipped into the x-y
measured immediately plane will depend on the amount of longitudinal
JUSAY, JERICK G.

magnetization that has recovered during TI after the Fast FLAIR

original 180 degrees RF pulse • A STIR sequences are typically performed with fast
• At that point, an FID proportional to the longitudinal spin-echo (FSE) technique
magnetization flipped into x-y plane is obtained
• Longitudinal magnetization is regained • A pulsed external RF will flip the magnetization
vector 90 degrees into the x-y plane (Mxy)

Null Point
• A point at which the signal crosses the zero line Spin-echo pulse
• At this point, the signal intensity is zero

Dephasing is caused by:

1. External magnetic field inhomogeneity
2. Inherent spin-spin interactions

Fat Suppression: STIR Imaging • SE pulse sequence eliminates the external magnetic
field inhomogeneity by an additional refocusing or
rephasing 180 degrees RF pulse
• SE pulse sequence can eliminate dephasing caused
by external magnetic field inhomogeneity
• Spin-spin interaction cannot be eliminated because
they are not fixed, thus they fluctuate randomly

Spin-echo pulse
• Due to 90 degrees RF pulse, the magnetization
vector Mz is flipped into the x-y plane.
• For an instance, each of 3 different magnetization
vectors in the same transverse plane will have
• STIR- Short TI Inversion Recovery different magnetic environment
• At null point for fat, it starts and remains at zero • Initially all vectors are in phase at uniform Larmor
• There will be no transverse magnetization from fat in Frequency (Wo)
the x-y plane • If one group of spin is exposed to Bo will be at Wo
• In effect, we have a suppressed fat signal. • An adjacent group of spins will sense a higher Bo+
• Therefore, after 180 degrees inverting time, there is and will precess at higher Wo+ and another will
a TI= 0.693 T1 (fat) then 90 degrees pulse is given sense a slightly lower Bo- and precess at slightly
• The term STIR is called short TI inversion recovery lower Wo-
because fat has a very short T1 • After a 90 degrees RF pulse, 3 spins will get out of
• Therefore, a very short TI must be chosen to null the phase
very short T1. • Eventually, the fast vector and the slow vector
become 180 degrees out of phase and cancel each
Fluid-Attenuated inversion Recovery (FLAIR) other out
• An Inversion Recovery technique that nulls fluid
• Used in the brain to suppress CSF and delineate • After a certain 90 degrees Rf pulse, spins will get out
periventricular hyperintense lesions such as of phase. A 180 degrees rephasing RF pulse is
multisclerosis (MS) plaques applied
JUSAY, JERICK G.

• All the spins will be flipped 180 degrees in the x-y For PD weighting, T1 and T2 effects are eliminated
plane and will continue to precess in opposite a. Long TR
direction. b. Short TE
• Initially, a 90 degrees RF pulse will be applied and
will flip the spins into the x-y plane
• After a period of time a 180 degrees RF pulse will be
applied
• After a long time, t=TR the process will be repeated
• After 90 degrees RF pulse, FID dephases very
rapidly due to T2* effect related to external magnetic
field inhomogeneity and spin-spin interaction. The
spin gets out of phase
• At time T, 180 degrees refocusing Rf pulse is
applied and spins will be in phase again at maximum
signal

1. The time T is the time from 90 degrees RF pulse to

the 180 degrees RF pulse
2. Time T is also the time from the 180 RF pulse to the
point of maximum rephasing ECHO
3. 2T the echo delay time (time to echo) - TE is the
time after the 90 degrees pulse in which the signal is
at maximum again
4. 180 RF pulse is called the refocusing or rephasing
pulse

• A second 180-degree RF pulse is also applied

• That makes two (2) 180 degrees RF pulses in
sequences after 90 degrees pulse
• After the first echo, the spins will begin to dephase
again
• A second 180 RF pulse will be applied after the time
T2 after the first echo and a second echo is obtained
• Each echo has its own TE

1. The time from the 90 degrees RF pulse to the first

echo is TE
2. The time from the 90 degrees RF pulse to the
second echo is TE2

• The 180 degrees RF pulse inverts the longitudinal

magnetization.
• At time TE/2 (on the order of 10 msec), the
recovered longitudinal magnetization is negligible
and its inversion does not cause any significant
signal loss.

For T1 weighting, T2 effect is eliminated

a. Short TE
b. Short TR

For T2 weighting, T1 effect is eliminated

a. Long TR
b. Long TE