System and method for spectrally-resolved three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging without frequency-encoding gradients

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

• a magnet system configured to generate a polarizing magnetic field about at least a portion of a subject arranged in the MRI system;
• a plurality of gradient coils configured to establish at least one magnetic gradient field to the polarizing magnetic field;
• a radio frequency (RF) system configured to apply an RF field to the subject and to receive magnetic resonance signals therefrom;
• a computer system programmed to:
• direct the RF system to produce an RF pulse that rotates net magnetization about an axis;
• direct the plurality of gradient coils to establish a first phase-encoding gradient along a first direction;
• direct the plurality of gradient coils to establish a second phase-encoding gradient along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction;
• direct the plurality of gradient coils to establish a third phase-encoding gradient along a third direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction;
• direct the RF system to receive a magnetic resonance signal generated in response to the produced RF pulse;
• acquire spectrally-resolved data at a point in k-space that is defined by the first, second, and third phase-encoding gradients by sampling the received magnetic resonance signal at a plurality of time points during a data acquisition window;
• and
• direct the plurality of gradient coils not to establish a magnetic field gradient during the data acquisition window.