Patent ID: 8838204

Claim:
A method of acquiring a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) image of a portion of a vasculature of a subject using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the method comprising: performing a pulse sequence using the MRI system, the pulse sequence including a phase-based flow encoding to collect a time-series of image data from the portion of the vasculature of the subject; monitoring, during the performing of the pulse sequence, a cardiac cycle of the subject and synchronizing the collection of the time-series of image data from the portion of the vasculature of the subject to the cardiac cycle of the subject; identifying at least a portion of the time series of image data within the cardiac cycle and corresponding to a period of reduced flow through the portion of the vasculature; and subtracting the portion of the time series of image data within the cardiac cycle from the time series of image data to create a time series of images of the portion of the vasculature having background tissue surrounding the portion of the vasculature substantially suppressed.