Patent ID: 7944206
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. In a method for treating a sample to acquire one of high-definition magnetic resonance images (MRI images) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, even in the presence of magnetic field distortions, within one or multiple scans that comprises the steps of: (1) acquiring data of the sample by applying a magnetic field gradient on the sample to endow spins at different positions within the sample with different resonance frequencies while simultaneously applying a radiofrequency (RF) pulse in unison with the magnetic field gradient to encode spins at different positions within the sample with an excitation/inversion profile; (2) correcting field inhomogeneities at the time of acquisition to be independent of the field inhomogeneities; (3) capturing and decoding the spin signals thus created to decode at least one of the spins' spatial locations and spectroscopic responses unaffected by field inhomogeneity; and (4) retrieving from decoded signals and storing a set of data indicative of one of a final undistorted image and spectrum being sought; the improvement comprising effecting the correction of field inhomageneities in step (3) by continuously sweeping chirped π/2 RF pulses twice during acquisition, over an initial time to effect progressive excitation of spins and over a final time to implement regressive storage of a transverse evolution resulting in encoding t