Suppression of background tissue signals in velocity selective arterial spin labeling (VSASL)

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for arterial spin labeling (ASL), comprising:

• a magnet;
• one or more radio frequency (RF) coils;
• one or more processors;
• and
• a machine interface;
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate an MRI image by:
• receiving, on the machine interface, an input indicative of time intervals to be used for imaging a target object;
• wherein the time intervals are pre-stored in a memory based on properties of the target object;
• controlling the one or more RF coils to apply a first order of modules under a control condition including at least a first control module at a first time point and a first labeling module at a second time point to the target object, wherein both the first and the second modules invert a magnetization of the target object;
• controlling the one or more RF coils to operate a second order of modules under a labeling condition including at least a second labeling module at a third time point and a second control module at a fourth time point to the target object, wherein both the third and the fourth modules invert the magnetization of the target object,
• wherein the time intervals correspond to time differences between the first time point and the second time point, between the third and the fourth time point, between the second time point and an image acquisition, and between the fourth time point and the image acquisition.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having processor-executable code for implementing a method of obtaining a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image of a target object using an MRI system for arterial spin labeling (ASL), the code, upon execution by a processor, causing the processor to:

• receiving, from a machine interface, an input indicative of time intervals to be used for imaging the target object;
• wherein the time intervals are pre-stored in a memory based on properties of the target object;
• controlling one or more RF coils to apply a first order of modules under a control condition including at least a first control module at a first time point and a first labeling module at a second time point to the target object, wherein both the first and the second modules invert a magnetization of the target object;
• controlling the one or more RF coils to operate a second order of modules under a labeling condition including at least a second labeling module at a third time point and a second control module at a fourth time point to the target object, wherein both the third and the fourth modules invert the magnetization of the target object,
• wherein the time intervals correspond to time differences between the first time point and the second time point, between the third and the fourth time point, between the second time point and an image acquisition, and between the fourth time point and the image acquisition.