Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method

A method for generating a magnetic resonance (MR) image of an examination object, comprising:

• operating an MR data acquisition scanner to produce spin echo signals from an examination object, and applying gradient magnetic fields to cause MR measurement data, acquired during said spin echo signals, to be entered into k-space along trajectories that are not straight lines, with said MR measurement data being entered into k-space so as to fully sample a central region of k-space and so as to not fully sample a region of k-space outside of said central region;
• in a computer, executing a phase correction with a partial Fourier technique on said MR measurement data using the fully sampled MR measurement data from the central region of k-space, so as to generate phase-corrected MR measurement data;
• in said computer, generating an MR image of the examination object using the phase-corrected MR measurement data;
• and
• making said MR image available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.

A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:

• an MR data acquisition scanner comprising a radio-frequency (RF) antenna arrangement that includes at least two receiving coils, and a gradient coil arrangement;
• a computer configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner in order to apply a sequence of RF pulses that generate stimulated echo signals in an examination object situated in the MR data acquisition scanner;
• said computer being configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to apply gradient magnetic fields concurrently with the stimulated echo signals, which produce trajectories in k-space for entering MR data into k-space along lines that are not straight;
• said computer being configured to operate the MR data acquisition scanner to detect undersampled MR measurement data during the stimulated echo signals using said at least two receiving coils;
• said computer being configured to generate fully sampled MR measurement data from the undersampled MR measurement data using sensitivity information of the at least two receiving coils;
• and
• said computer being configured to reconstruct an MR image from the fully sampled MR measurement data, and to make the MR image available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.

A magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus comprising:

• an MR data acquisition scanner comprising a radio-frequency (RF) antenna arrangement and a gradient coil arrangement;
• a computer being configured to operate said MR data acquisition scanner to produce spin echo signals from an examination object, and to apply gradient magnetic fields that cause MR measurement data, acquired during said spin echo signals, to be entered into k-space along trajectories that are not straight lines, with said MR measurement data being entered into k-space so as to fully sample a central region of k-space and so as to not fully sample a region of k-space outside of said central region;
• said computer being configured to execute a phase correction with a partial Fourier technique on said MR measurement data using the fully sampled MR measurement data from the central region of k-space, so as to generate phase-corrected MR measurement data;
• said computer being configured to generate an MR image of the examination object using the phase-corrected MR measurement data;
• and
• said computer being configured to make said MR image available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a control computer of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus that comprises an MR data acquisition scanner having a radio-frequency (RF) antenna arrangement that includes at least two receiving coils, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

• operate said MR data acquisition scanner in order to apply a sequence of RF pulses that generate stimulated echo signals in an examination object situated in the MR data acquisition scanner;
• operate said MR data acquisition scanner to apply gradient magnetic fields concurrently with the stimulated echo signals, which produce trajectories in k-space for entering MR data into k-space along lines that are not straight;
• operate the MR data acquisition scanner to detect undersampled MR measurement data during the stimulated echo signals using said at least two receiving coils;
• generate fully sampled MR measurement data from the undersampled MR measurement data using sensitivity information of the at least two receiving coils;
• and
• reconstruct an MR image from the fully sampled MR measurement data, and make the MR image available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a control computer of a magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus that comprises an MR data acquisition scanner, said programming instructions causing said control computer to:

• operate said MR data acquisition scanner to produce spin echo signals from an examination object, and to apply gradient magnetic fields that cause MR measurement data, acquired during said spin echo signals, to be entered into k-space along trajectories that are not straight lines, with said MR measurement data being entered into k-space so as to fully sample a central region of k-space and so as to not fully sample a region of k-space outside of said central region;
• execute a phase correction with a partial Fourier technique on said MR measurement data using the fully sampled MR measurement data from the central region of k-space, so as to generate phase-corrected MR measurement data;
• generate an MR image of the examination object using the phase-corrected MR measurement data;
• and
• make said MR image available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.