Magnetic resonance imaging method with asymmetric radial acquisition of K-space data

#This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2015 107 347.1 filed May 11, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

#The present invention concerns a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method in which a sample is subjected to a gradient echo imaging sequence with asymmetric radial acquisition of k-space data. The present invention also concerns a MRI system configured to carry out such a MRI method as well as a computer program for controlling a MRI system, the computer program comprising executable instructions to carry out such a MRI method.

#Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-known medical imaging technique that allows visualizing internal structures of the human (and the animal) body in great detail.

#Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings, which only serve for illustration purposes, but have no limiting effects. In the drawings it is shown:

#FIG. 1 a schematic illustration of a MRI system for carrying out the inventive method according to a first embodiment;

#FIG. 2 a schematic illustration of a 2D centered-out half-echo radial k-space data acquisition according to the prior art;

#In FIG. 1, an exemplary MRI system is shown which serves to carry out the inventive method in which a sample 5, such as a living or dead human or animal body, is subjected to a gradient echo imaging sequence with asymmetric radial acquisition of k-space data.

#The MRI system comprises a main magnet 1 for producing a main magnetic field B0. The main magnet 1 usually has the essential shape of a hollow cylinder with a horizontal bore. Inside the bore of the main magnet 1 a magnetic field is present, which is essentially uniform at least in the region of the isocenter 6 of the main magnet 1. The main magnet 1 serves to at least partly align the nuclear spins of a sample 5 arranged in the bore. Of course, the magnet 1 does not necessarily be cylinder-shaped, but could for example also be C-shaped.

#The sample 5 is arranged in such a way on a moving table 4 in the bore of the main magnet 1, that the part of the sample 5, which is to be imaged by the inventive method, is arranged in the region of the isocenter 6 of the magnet 1. In the present example according to FIG. 1, human lung parenchyma is assessed. In order to avoid motion artifacts, the sample 5, i.e. a patient, is immobilized during data acquisition by means of a corresponding fixation (not shown). In order to avoid motion artifacts due to diaphragm movement, the patient is instructed to hold his breath during the entire image acquisition.