# US 2009/0267604 A1 · Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0267604 A1 - Document ID: US20090267604A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/427,337 - Filed: 2009-04-21 - Published: 2009-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2008-04-25 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation - Inventors: Masaaki UMEDA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090267604A1 ## CPC - G01R 33/5617: {using RF refocusing, e.g. RARE} - G01R 33/4828: {Resolving the MR signals of different chemical species, e.g. water-fat imaging} - G01R 33/56341: {Diffusion imaging} - G01R 33/56366: {Perfusion imaging} - G01R 33/4833: {using spatially selective excitation of the volume of interest, e.g. selecting non-orthogonal or inclined slices} - G01R 33/5605: {by transferring coherence or polarization from a spin species to another, e.g. creating magnetization transfer contrast [MTC], polarization transfer using nuclear Overhauser enhancement [NOE]} - G01R 33/5607: {by reducing the NMR signal of a particular spin species, e.g. of a chemical species for fat suppression, or of a moving spin species for black-blood imaging} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an image data generating unit. The data acquisition unit acquires MR signals for imaging by an imaging scan with applying a frequency-selective or slice-selective radio frequency intermediate pulse for controlling a contrast and a spoiler gradient magnetic field for suppressing unnecessary signal component after applying al least one of radio frequency excitation pulses. The image data generating unit generates image data based on the magnetic resonance signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a data acquisition unit configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals for imaging by an imaging scan with applying a frequency-selective or slice-selective radio frequency intermediate pulse for controlling a contrast and a spoiler gradient magnetic field for suppressing unnecessary signal component after applying al least one of radio frequency excitation pulses to be applied for acquiring the magnetic resonance signals, the spoiler gradient magnetic field being subsequent to the radio frequency intermediate pulse; and an image data generating unit configured to generate image data based on the magnetic resonance signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply a fat saturation pulse as the radio frequency intermediate pulse. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply at least one of a water selective excitation pulse for exciting water selectively, a saturation pulse for suppressing signals from a desired matter by saturating spins of the desired matter, a spin labeling pulse for tagging a moving object flowing into an imaging section, a magnetization transfer contrast pulse for suppressing signals from a parenchymatous organ by saturating a magnetization of protons in bound water and a slice-selective off-resonance sinc pulse which is a magnetization transfer contrast pulse applied with a slice selection gradient magnetic field as the radio frequency intermediate pulse, the saturation pulse being applied precedently to a dephasing gradient magnetic field. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply a frequency-selective or slice-selective radio frequency pre-pulse for controlling the contrast precedently to the radio frequency excitation pulses. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply plural radio frequency intermediate pulses of a kind ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply plural radio frequency intermediate pulses of different kinds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to use a gradient magnetic field for readout as the spoiler gradient magnetic field. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply the spoiler gradient magnetic field in at least one of a slice direction and a phase encode direction and a gradient magnetic field for cancelling a dephasing amount by the spoiler gradient magnetic field, the gradient magnetic field for cancelling the dephasing amount being applied precedently to the radio frequency intermediate pulse. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to perform diffusion weighted imaging and use a motion probing gradient pulse as the spoiler gradient magnetic field. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply a refocus pulse after each radio frequency excitation pulse and apply the radio frequency intermediate pulse with a flip angle determined depending on a flip angle of the refocus pulse. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to transmit the radio frequency intermediate pulse with plural element coils. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply the radio frequency intermediate pulse at a timing according to at least one of an echo interval and an echo time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to apply a refocus pulse after each radio frequency excitation pulse and apply the radio frequency intermediate pulse between refocus pulses. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data acquisition unit is configured to perform diffusion weighted imaging and apply the radio frequency intermediate pulse before acquiring a first magnetic resonance signal for the imaging. ### Claim 15 A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a data acquisition unit configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals for imaging by an imaging scan with applying a frequency-selective or slice-selective fat saturation pulse for controlling a contrast and a spoiler gradient magnetic field for suppressing unnecessary signal component after applying al least one of radio frequency excitation pulses to be applied for acquiring the magnetic resonance signals, the spoiler gradient magnetic field being subsequent to the fat saturation pulse; and an image data generating unit configured to generate image data based on the magnetic resonance signals. ### Claim 16 A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising: acquiring magnetic resonance signals for imaging by an imaging scan with applying a frequency-selective or slice-selective radio frequency intermediate pulse for controlling a contrast and a spoiler gradient magnetic field for suppressing unnecessary signal component after applying al least one of radio frequency excitation pulses to be applied for acquiring the magnetic resonance signals, the spoiler gradient magnetic field being subsequent to the radio frequency intermediate pulse; and generating image data based on the magnetic resonance signals.