Method and a MRI apparatus for obtaining images of a target volume of a human and/or animal subject using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A MRI scanning apparatus for obtaining images of a target volume of a human and/or animal subject using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), said MRI scanning apparatus at least comprising:

• a housing defining a target area for accommodating said human and/or animal subject;
• at least one main magnet unit and at least one magnetic gradient unit for applying—during use—one or more magnetic gradient fields in said target area, as well as
• at least one radiofrequency (RF) pulse generation unit for applying, during subsequent total block times TBj with j ϵ [1, 2, . . . , K]a first set of spatially selective RF pulses (Exc0-Sto0-Rec0) in a sequence block SB(j,0), with in a sub-sequence block SBA(j,0) of said sequence block SB(j,0) at least a first RF pulse (Exc0) at t=t1(j,0) and a second RF pulse (Sto0) at t=t2(j,0) and in a sub-sequence block SBB(j,0) of said sequence block SB(j,0) at least a third RF pulse (Rec0) at t=t3(j,0), with t1(j,0)<t2(j,0)<t3(j,0), with each RF pulse simultaneously exciting respective M0 slices in the target volume of the human and/or animal subject, thereby causing the subject to emit MRI signals, said MRI signals at least comprising stimulated-echo (STE) MRI signals producing data for M0 slices in said target volume;
• a RF receiving unit for acquiring during said total block times TBj said MRI signals having spatial sensitive characteristics;
• and
• a computer processing unit for processing said acquired MRI signals and for producing said magnetic resonance image data, wherein said (RF) pulse generation unit is arranged to apply, to said human and/or animal subject being positioned in said MRI scanner, at least a further set i (with i ϵ [1, . . . , N]) of spatially selective RF pulses (Exci-Stoi-Reci) in a further sequence block SB(j,i) (with i ϵ [1, . . . , N]), with in a sub-sequence block SBA(j,i) of said further sequence block SB(j,i) at least a RF pulse Exci at t=t1(j,i) and a RF pulse Stoi at t=t2(j,i) and in a sub-sequence block SBB(j,i) of said sequence block SB(j,i) at least a RF pulse Reci at t=t3(i,j), with t1(j,i)<t2(j,i)<t3(j,i) and with sub-sequence block SBA(j,i) taking place after sub-sequence block SB(j,i-1) but prior to sub-sequence block SBB(j,i-1) and with sub-sequence block SBB(j,i) taking place after sub-sequence block SBB(j,i-1), with each RF pulse simultaneously exciting respective Mi slices in the target volume of the human and/or animal subject, thereby causing the subject to emit further MRI signals, said further MRI signals at least comprising stimulated-echo (STE) MRI signals producing further data for ΣNi=1Mi slices in said target volume.