US 5,627,468 AGranted

Method and system for carrying out magnetic resonance imaging using the MTC effect for angiography

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsFumitoshi Kojima, Mitsue Miyazaki

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Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging method and system utilizing a magnetization transfer contrast pulse that includes executing a first sequence including the application of the magnetization transfer contrast pulse to an examinee and executing a second sequence for acquiring a magnetic resonance angiography image data related to a predetermined imaging plane. The first sequence further includes the step of applying a slice gradient magnetic field for spatially selectively exciting a predetermined magnetization transfer contrast excitation plane at substantially the same timing as that of the magnetization transfer contrast pulse. A predetermined gradient magnetic field is applied by a gradient magnetic field application means in a manner superimposing upon a predetermined static magnetic field. An RF transmitting/receiving means is arranged for transmitting an RF pulse to an examinee and receiving a magnetic resonance signal from the examinee. The gradient magnetic field application means and the RF transmitting/receiving means is controlled by a control means in accordance with the predetermined pulse sequence.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A magnetic resonance imaging method utilizing a magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) effect, in which an examinee is placed under a static magnetic field and three dimensional magnetic resonance angiography is carried out for blood flowing into an imaging plane within the examinee, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a first pulse sequence for causing the MTC effect in an MTC excitation plane in the examinee, said first pulse sequence including the steps of:
applying a magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) pulse causing the MTC effect in the MTC excitation plane in the examinee, the MTC pulse being formed by superimposing an offset pulse and a spatial selective excitation pulse, said spatial selective excitation pulse for exciting protons contained in water in the examinee, said offset pulse for exciting protons contained in macromolecules in the examinee by having a frequency range shifted by an offset amount from a resonance frequency of said protons contained in the water, and
applying a slice gradient magnetic field at substantially the same timing as said application of said MTC pulse for positioning the MTC excitation plane adjacent a side of the imaging plane that is opposite to the side of the imaging plane where the blood to be imaged flows into the imaging plane;
and
executing a second pulse sequence after said execution of said first pulse sequence for acquiring image data of the imaging plane for the three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography.

2 more elements

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus utilizing a magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) effect, in which an examinee is placed under a static magnetic field and three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography is carried out for blood flowing into an imaging plane within the examinee, the apparatus comprising:

means for executing a first pulse sequence for causing the MTC effect in an MTC excitation plane in the examinee, said first pulse sequence executing means including:
means for applying a magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) pulse causing said MTC effect in the MTC excitation plane in the examinee, the MTC pulse being formed by superimposing an offset pulse and a spatial selective excitation pulse, said spatial selective excitation pulse for exciting protons contained in water in the examinee, said offset pulse for exciting protons contained in macromolecules in the examinee by having a frequency range shifted by an offset amount from a resonance frequency of said protons contained in the water, and
means for applying a slice gradient magnetic field at substantially the same timing as said application of said MTC pulse for positioning the MTC excitation plane adjacent a side of the imaging plane that is opposite to the side of the imaging plane where the blood to be imaged flows into the imaging plane;
and
means for executing a second pulse sequence after said execution of said first pulse sequence for acquiring image data of the imaging plane for the three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.