Patent ID: 6208142
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A method of magnetic resonance imaging comprising the steps of:(a) positioning a subject adjacent a single-sided static field magnet;(b) actuating said static field magnet to provide a plurality of different magnetic fields at different times within an imaging region of the subject, each such field defining a plurality of slices of constant field magnitude including a best slice most closely approximating a preselected shape intersecting an axis, the best slices of said different fields intercepting the axis at different locations;(c) tuning RF transmission and reception apparatus to apply RF excitation to the subject so as to elicit and receive magnetic resonance signals selectively from one or more slices defined by each field in the vicinity of the best slice defined by such field; and(d) applying magnetic field gradients in directions perpendicular to the axis so as to spatially encode the magnetic resonance signals from each slice.