Steady state dark blood magnetic resonance imaging

An apparatus, comprising:

• a pulse logic to produce a steady state pulse sequence that includes a set of readout modules and a set of magnetization preparation modules;
• and
• an output logic to produce radio frequency (RF) energy and magnetic gradients associated with the steady state pulse sequence;
• where the steady state pulse sequence includes:
• regularly spaced in time slice selection excitation pulses to excite a region to be imaged in an object to be imaged using a consistent repetition time (TR),
• a readout module, and
• a magnetization preparation module,
• where during a magnetization preparation module a gradient associated with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is not active, a gradient associated with slice selection is active, and RF pulses associated with slice selection are active, and
• where signal from which an MR image can be reconstructed is to be acquired from the object to be imaged during a readout module.

A system, comprising:

• means for generating a steady state pulse sequence having:
• regularly spaced slice selection excitation pulses to excite a region to be imaged in an object to be imaged using a consistent repetition time (TR),
• a readout module, and
• a magnetization preparation module,
• where during a magnetization preparation module a gradient associated with MR imaging is not active, a gradient associated with slice selection is active, and RF pulses associated with slice selection are active, and
• where signal from which an MR image can be reconstructed is to be acquired from the object to be imaged during a readout module;
• means for applying the steady state pulse sequence to an object to be imaged;
• and
• means for reconstructing a magnetic resonance image from signals acquired from the object to be imaged in response to applying the steady state pulse sequence.