Patent ID: 8354844
Filing Date: 2013-01-15
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A method for accelerating data acquisition in MRI with N-dimensional spatial encoding to generate a high-resolution image free of artifacts in a time-efficient manner, the method comprising the steps of: a) preparing, within an imaged object volume, a transverse magnetization having a spatially non-linear phase distribution; b) effecting primary spatial encoding through application of switched magnetic fields; c) simultaneously recording, using two or more RF receivers and during or following step b), MR signals originating from the imaged object volume, wherein, for each RF receiver, an N-dimensional data matrix is recorded which is undersampled by a factor R d) reconstructing data points belonging to a k-space matrix which were not recoded by a selected acquisition schema using a parallel imaging method, wherein reference information concerning receiver coil sensitivities is extracted from a phase-scrambled reconstruction of the undersampled data matrix, thereby improving data sampling efficiency and reducing overall data acquisition time, wherein a strength of applied encoding fields and a number of encoding steps is selected such that direct image reconstruction using a Fourier transform would result in an image FOV smaller than a desired FOV or having an image resolution which is lower than desired.