Extending the resolution of mri data by combining subsets from plural image acquisitions

A magnetic resonance imaging system, comprising:

• a biasing field magnet and an array of gradient coils,
• a radio frequency pulse source;
• a radio frequency receiver;
• a control system operable to apply a magnetic field via the gradient coils and to trigger application of a pulse sequence via the radio frequency pulse source;
• a processor coupled to the control system and to the radio frequency receiver, wherein the processor is configured to execute excitation and to collect magnetic resonance response values for populating a k-space array in data memory;
• wherein the processor is configured to associate together different portions of the k-space array as subsets, whereby said subsets can be combined by the processor to fill the k-space array by occupying different said coordinates, and the processor is programmably operable to effect Fourier transformation of the k-space array;
• wherein the processor is programmed to collect and store successive versions of at least one of the subsets to provide at least one additional image data set wherein values for one of the subsets has been changed compared to a previous version.

A computer readable medium encoded with program code, wherein when the program code is executed by a processor for performing a method comprising the steps of:

• managing data derived from a MRI imaging, wherein the data for each MRI image comprises a plurality of data subsets in k-space and contribute to distinct portions of k-space prior art Fourier transformation;
• collecting and organizing the data subsets such that at least one of the subsets in k-space is substituted for corresponding previously acquired subset of k-space and said at least one subset and said previously acquired subset define a full image data set in k-space;
• and,
• at least one of communicating, storing, Fourier transforming, and displaying the additional MRI image.