Patent ID: 6853190
Filing Date: 2005-02-08
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A method of generating a magnetic resonance image of a subject, comprising the steps of: placing an examination subject in a static basic magnetic field; simultaneously exciting nuclear spins in first and second adjacent slices of said subject with a radio frequency excitation pulse that encodes said first slice with a phase offset of +90 degrees or −90 degrees relative to said second slice, and thereby producing a magnetic resonance response signal containing magnetization information for both of said first and second slices; generating gradient pulses that spatially encode said magnetic resonance response signals, thereby producing spatially encoded magnetic resonance response signals; using multiple reception coils having respective coil sensitivities, which receive, said spatially encoded magnetic resonance response signals, as received signals having a real part and an imaginary part; processing said received signals, including separating the respective magnetization information for said first and second slices dependent on said phase offset by calculating respective magnetization densities of said first and second slices from said real part and said imaginary part dependent on said coil sensitivities and making respective entries which represent said received signals, into a first plurality of rows in k space, and comprising the additional step of identifying the respective coil sensitivities by making said entries wherein said first slice is encoded with a complementary phase offset of −90 degrees or +90 degrees relative to said second slice, in a second plurality of rows of k space; selectively combining said first plurality of rows and said second plurality of rows in identifying the respective coil sensitivities; and generating respective magnetic resonance images of said first slice and said second slice.