Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract: In a steady state free precession (SFP) magnetic resonance imaging method, after each pulse (1) of an applied train of phase coherent RF pulses which excite magnetic resonance spins in a region of a body being examined, magnetic field gradients (7, 11) are applied to encode the excited spins and the encoded spins are detected, and at least one further magnetic field gradient (15, 17) is then applied to rephase the spins by the time the next RF pulse is applied. The method finds particular application where the applied encoding gradients serve to encode the spins in such a manner as to allow a multi-dimensional Fourier transform technique to be used to reconstruct an image. The method allows more rapid data acquisition than has been possible hitherto in SFP imaging.

Description: This invention relates to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging methods. The use of fast data acquisition methods in NMR imaging offers the clinical advantages of increased patient throughput, improved patient comfort, and reduction in motion related image artefacts due to reduced scan times. The Steady-state Free Precession (SFP) NMR technique involves exciting a suitable sample in normal NMR conditions with a train of phase coherent radio frequency (RF) pulses such that the pulse separation is less than or comparable to the characteristics T₁ and T₂ of the sample. It is an object of the present invention to provide an SFP NMR imaging method which allows NMR data to be acquired more rapidly. According to the present invention there is provided a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging method including the step of applying a train of phase coherent radio frequency pulses to a body in the presence of a steady magnetic field which defines an equilibrium axis of magnetic alignment in the body to excite steady state nuclear magnetic spins in a region of the body to be examined wherein: after each said radio frequency pulse at least two encoding magnetic field gradients are applied to encode the excited spins and the encoded spins are detected and utilised to reconstruct an image of said region; characterised in that after each such detection a non-zero number of rephasing magnetic field gradients less than the number of said encoding gradients is applied effective to rephase spins by the time the next radio frequency pulse is applied. A method as provided by the invention but in which there is applied a rephasing gradient in respect of each and every encoding gradient is described in Electromedica, Vol. 54, no.1, April 1986, pages 15-18; A. Oppelt et al.: "FISP": eine neue schelle Pulssequenz für die Kernspintomographie". Two methods will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 illustrates a sequence for two-dimensional i.e. slice imaging. Figure 2 illustrates pulse sequence for three-dimensional, i.e. volume, imaging; and Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate how the sequence of Figure 1 and 2 are strung together to perform a complete imaging sequence. As in all SFP techniques, the methods to be described basically involve the application of a train of coherent RF pulses in the presence of a steady magnetic field which defines an equilibrium axis of magnetic alignment in a body to be examined to excite spins in a selected region of the body to be examined. Between each adjacent pair of pulses in the train, magnetic field gradients are applied, first to encode the spins and so confer spatial information on the spins subsequently detected, thereby to permit reconstruction of an image from the detected spins, and then to obtain rephasing of the spins by the time the next RF pulse occurs. The applied RF pulses then maintain the material of the body selected for examination in a steady state of excitation, as required. The gradients applied depend on the region to be examined, and the image reconstruction method to be employed. Referring to Figure 1, where a selected slice is to be examined using a two-dimensional Fourier transform (2DFT) image reconstruction technique, each RF pulse 1 is applied during a slice selection magnetic field pulse 3 whereby a gradient is imposed on the steady magnetic field, which defines an equilibrium axis of magnetic alignment in the body, in a direction normal to the plane of the slice. The RF and gradient pulses 1 and 3 are chosen so that the Larmor frequency of chosen protons or other nuclear species in the selected slice under the applied gradient magnetic field is at the frequency of the RF pulse. As a result, nuclear spins are preferentially excited in the selected slice. Following the gradient pulse 3 a reverse direction gradient pulse 5 is applied to rephase spins in the selected slice against dephasing resulting from the gradient across the slice during excitation. At the same time a phase encoding magnetic field pulse 7 is applied having a gradient in a first direction in the plane of the slice to phase encode the excited spins. In addition, a further gradient pulse 9 in a second direction in the plane of the slice, orthogonal to the first direction, is applied. After the phase encoding pulse 7 ends, the gradient pulse 9 is replaced by a reverse direction frequency encoding read gradient pulse 11 which is maintained during detection of the free induction decay (FID) signal 13. After detection of the FID signal 13 magnetic field gradient pulses 15 and 17 respectively corresponding to, but in the reverse directions to, the read gradient and phase encoding pulses 11 and 7 are applied, thereby to rephase the spins substantially completely at the time of application of the next RF pulse, whereupon the sequence is repeated. It will be appreciated that the gradient pulse 9 preceding the read gradient pulse 11 compensates in known manner for dephasing of spins during application of the read gradient pulse 11. In a modification of the sequence of Figure 1, a slice selection direction gradient pulse is applied after read out in such a sense, i.e. in the same sense as pulse 5, to compensate for dephasing of spins during the part of the next pulse 3 preceding the centre of the next RF pulse 1. Referring to Figure 2, where a three-dimensional volume of the body is to be examined using 3DFT image reconstruction technique, each RF pulse 19 is applied in the absence of any gradient to excite spins throughout the body rather than only in a slice thereof. Two phase encoding pulses 21 and 23 and a further gradient pulse 25 are applied immediately after the RF pulse 19, and the pulse 25 replaced by a reverse direction read gradient pulse 27 maintained during detection of the FID signal 29. After signal detection, gradient pulses 31, 33 and 35 corresponding to, but in the reverse direction to, the read gradient pulse 27 and the phase encoding pulses 21 and 23 respectively are applied, thereby to rephase the spins at the time of application of the next RF pulse. In accordance with the present invention the methods described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 are modified in that only the magnetic field gradient rephasing pulses 17, 33 and 35 in respect of the phase encoding gradients 7, 21 and 23 are applied after detection and the read gradient rephasing gradients 15 and 31 are dispensed with without significant deterioration in the resulting image. Referring now to Figure 3, in the first complete imaging sequence to be described a block 37 of a number of cycles, e.g. twenty to fifty cycles, of a sequence as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, but without read and phase encoding gradient pulses or detection of FID signal, i.e. dummy cycles, is first performed. This serves to establish steady state conditions in the region of the body to be examined. Data acquisition then starts. This comprises performing a block 39 of a number of cycles e.g. ten to a hundred, of the sequence shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, with a first value for the or each phase encoding gradient, the resulting FID signals being averaged and stored. This process is then repeated for each different value of the phase encoding gradient or gradients required to enable reconstruction of an image of desired resolution from the stored averaged FID signals in known manner. Typically each sequence as shown in Figures 1 and 2 takes about 20 milliseconds. Hence for 256 different values of phase encoding gradient and averaging sixteen FID signals for each value of phase encoding gradient a total data collection time of about 82 seconds is required. Data collection time may be reduced in the limit, by dispensing with signal averaging, to about 6 seconds. In the second complete imaging sequence to be described a series of complete images are obtained as steady state conditions are approached either from an equilibrium or a saturation condition. Referring to Figure 4, if approach from saturation conditions is required, the method starts with any suitable known sequence to establish saturation conditions, as indicated at 41 in Figure 4. A block 43 of n sequences 45, where n is the number of different complete images required, is then performed, each sequence 45 being of the form shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, as required, and each sequence 45 employing the same value for the or each phase encoding gradient, as illustrated in greater detail in Figure 5. A period 47 of from one to two seconds is then allowed to elapse to allow equilibrium to be restored if required. The block 43 of sequences 45 followed by a relaxation period 47, if required, is then repeated, preceded by a saturation sequence 41 if required, for each required different value of the phase encoding gradient or gradients. Using the FID signals obtained from the first sequence 45 in each block 43 of sequences a first image is then constructed, and a second image is constructed using the FID signals obtained from the second sequence 45 in each block 43, and so on, giving n different images each at different condition between equilibrium or saturation and steady state. It will be appreciated that if desired more than one sequence block 43 for each value of phase encoding gradient may be performed, and the resulting detected FID signals for the different sequences 45 in each block 43 respectively averaged to improve signal to noise ratio. It will be understood that in an imaging method according to the invention it is essential that the RF pulses are phase coherent. However, the RF pulses may be all of the same phase or phase alternated from one sequence to the next (i.e. 0 then 180° or -90° then +90°). However, the detected signals are fairly insensitive to RF pulse angle between about 50° and 100°, the available signal varying only about 10% over this range so that the method is insensitive to RF field homogeneity. A feature of a method according to the invention is that since the phase encoding gradients average to zero over each excitation and signal detection sequence the effect of eddy currents is reduced. It will further be understood that whilst in the particular methods in accordance with the invention described by way of example, spatial information is conferred on the detected FID signals by phase encoding, other spatial encoding techniques may be used in other methods in accordance with the invention. However, whatever spatial encoding method is used, it is essential that after FID signal detection some only of the encoding gradients are reapplied in reverse sense, and that the successive pulses in the applied train of RF pulses are coherent and, of course, sufficiently frequent to establish SFP conditions. When for example, phase alternated RF pulses are used the steady state magnetisation produced by alternate pulses is given by: M x = - E₂ S β S α Q M y = S α (1 + E₂ C β ) Q M z = {C α (1 + E₂ C β ) + E₂ (E₂ + C β ) Q and Q = M o (1 -E₁)/{1 - E₁ C α )(1 + E₂ C β ) - E₂(E₁ - C α ) (E₂ + C β ) where S α = Sin α , C α = Cos α S β = Sin β , C β = Cos β E₂= exp ( -t /T₂), E₁= exp ( -t /T₁) M o is the equilibrium magnetisation α is the pulse angle β =Δ ωt where ω is the resonance offset (radians/second) from the Larmor frequency T₂= Spin-spin relaxation time T₁= Spin-lattice relaxation time The magnetisation is clearly periodic with respect to resonance offset, and this periodicity causes a 30 to 40% reduction in the available signal when the SFP technique is used in previously known manner with d.c. projection gradients. However, this periodicity is reduced in a method according to the invention because some magnetisation is rephased before RF pulses are applied.

Claims: A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging method including the step of applying a train of phase coherent radio frequency pulses (1 or 19) to a body in the presence of a steady magnetic field which defines an equilibrium axis of magnetic alignment in the body to excite steady state nuclear magnetic spins in a region of the body to be examined wherein: after each said radio frequency pulse (1 or 19) at least two encoding magnetic field gradients (7, 11 or 27, 21, 23) are applied to encode the excited spins and the encoded spins are detected and utilised to reconstruct an image of said region; characterised in that after each such detection a non-zero number of rephasing magnetic field gradients (17 or 33, 35) less than the number of said encoding gradients is applied effective to rephase spins by the time the next radio frequency pulse (1 or 19) is applied. A method according to Claim 1 wherein said encoding magnetic field gradients comprise at least one phase encoding gradient (7, 21 or 23) and a read gradient (11 or 27) and said rephasing gradients comprise a gradient (17 or 33, 35) corresponding to the or each phase encoding gradient (7 or 21, 23) but of reverse direction. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein each said radio frequency pulse (1 or 19) is applied in the presence of a selection magnetic field gradient (3) and a rephasing magnetic field gradient is applied after detection to compensate for dephasing of spins due to the selection magnetic field gradient associated with the next radio frequency pulse. A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus arranged to carry out a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

Inventors: GYNGELL MICHAEL LAURENCE, GYNGELL, MICHAEL LAURENCE
Applicants: PICKER INT LTD, PICKER INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G01N24
IPC codes: A61B5, G01R33, A61B10