Patent ID: 8185188
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A method for magnetic resonance imaging based on a gradient echo sequence, comprising the steps of: (a) determining a cardiac pulse frequency of an examination subject that defines a heart phase of the examination subject; (b) preparation of magnetization of nuclear spins in the subject by radiating an RF pulse block, comprising at least two preparation pulses that invert the nuclear spins, into the subject; (c) following each preparation pulse, exciting said nuclear spins in the examination subject to cause the nuclei to emit an RF response signal, spatially encoding the subject by emitting magnetic gradients, and emitting a slice-selection gradient and acquiring said RF response signal representing magnetic resonance data and entering said magnetic resonance data into k-space in N segments of k-space that collectively constitute an entirety of a slice established by said slice-selection gradient, each of said segments having a segment duration time that is necessary for entering said magnetic resonance data into that segment; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) N times for said slice, with each repetition ensuing within a repetition time interval having a fixed duration, and temporally shifting a time relative to said heart phase, at which a first of said at least two preparation pulses is radiated, in order to produce a time duration between said first of said at least two preparation pulses and a next successive preparation pulse of said at least two preparation pulses that equals a time duration for acquisition of N+1 segments and thereby causing said magnetic resonance data to be entered at a center of k-space, in each of said repetitions, at a same point in time after each preparation pulse; (e) repeating steps (b) through (d) for each of a plurality of additional slices of the subject; and (f) from said RF response signals, generating an image of each of said slices.