Patent ID: 8027713
Filing Date: 2011-09-27
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: static magnetic field generating means for generating a static magnetic field in space where an object to be examined is placed; RF pulse applying means for repeatedly applying an RF pulse that generates nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon to the object; gradient magnetic field generating means for applying gradient magnetic fields in a slicing direction, a phase-encoding direction, and a readout direction, respectively; receiving means for detecting a plurality of echo signals from the object; and control means for controlling each means so as to generate a plurality of echo signals having various echo times within one repetition time of the RF pulse, to apply a readout gradient magnetic field in parallel with the generation of each echo signal, and to vary the phase encoding at each repetition, wherein said control means executes first unwrapping processing on each region of an image having separated regions for adjusting phase values in each region, and executes second unwrapping processing for adjusting phase values between each region, in which a plurality of patterns of phase value adjustment are created, a desirable pattern is selected from among the plurality of patterns, and the phase values are adjusted by the selected pattern so that the phase values of each region are approximated by one curve, and wherein said regions are spatially and discontinuously separated by a noise region where pixels have smaller absolute values than a predetermined threshold value.