Patent ID: 8208986

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising: controlling a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus to produce a steady state pulse sequence; and controlling the MRI apparatus to generate radio frequency (RF) energy and magnetic gradients associated with the steady state pulse sequence; where the steady state pulse sequence is characterized by: regularly spaced in time slice selection excitation pulses to excite a region to be imaged in an object to be imaged using a consistent repetition time (TR), a readout module comprising a gradient that is active between readout RF pulses but not during the readout RF pulses, and a magnetization preparation module, where during a magnetization preparation module an additional RF pulse associated with slice selection is produced between RF pulses associated with producing steady state, an additional fixed slice selection gradient correlated to the additional RF pulse is active between RF pulses in the readout module, a fixed phase selection gradient is active at a time not overlapping with the additional RF pulse or the additional fixed slice selection gradient, and a fixed readout gradient is active at a time correlated to the fixed phase selection gradient, and where signals from which an MR image of the object to be imaged can be reconstructed are to be acquired during the readout module.