Variable-density parallel magnetic resonance imaging

A method of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for reconstructing an MR image, the method comprising:

• acquiring an MR data set by using a phased-array coil consisting of a plurality of individual coil-elements and by sampling first and second sampling regions, wherein the first region is sampled with a higher sampling density than the second region;
• reconstructing a plurality of images from a plurality of individual coil-elements;
• and
• combining the plurality of images from the individual coil-elements into a resultant MR image using parallel imaging.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code for reconstructing a magnetic resonance (MR) image, the computer readable program code including instructions for causing a computer to:
• obtain an MR data set from a phased-array coil consisting of a plurality of individual coil-elements and by sampling first and second sampling regions, wherein the first region is sampled with a higher sampling density than the second region;
• reconstruct a plurality of images from a plurality of individual coil-elements;
• and
• combine the plurality of images from the individual coil-elements into a resultant MR image using parallel imaging.

An apparatus for reconstructing a magnetic resonance (MR) image having a number of image pixels, wherein an MR data set is obtained by sampling first and second sampling regions, wherein a first region is sampled with a first sampling density that is higher than a second sampling density of a second region, the apparatus comprising:

• a phased array coil having a plurality of different coil-elements for obtaining the MRI data set;
• an MR scanner for generating MR images corrupted by aliasing artifacts by reconstructing the obtained MR data set;
• and
• a processor configured to combine the generated MR images with parallel imaging using an acceleration rate of the second region.