Patent ID: 8558543

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus configured to image a subject in such a manner that arterial blood of the subject is emphasized over venous blood flowing at a velocity slower than the arterial blood, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a transmission coil configured to transmit an RF pulse to the subject; a gradient coil configured to apply a gradient pulse to the subject; and a coil control device configured to control the transmission coil and the gradient coil such that: a longitudinal magnetization adjustment pulse sequence is executed on the arterial blood and the venous blood in order to set a longitudinal magnetization component positive in value of the arterial blood smaller than a longitudinal magnetization component positive in value of the venous blood, the longitudinal magnetization adjustment pulse sequence comprising: a first RF pulse configured to rotate the longitudinal magnetization components of the arterial blood and the venous blood by an angle of 45° degrees; and a second RF pulse configured to rotate the longitudinal magnetization components of the arterial blood and the venous blood by an angle of −45°; after the execution of the longitudinal magnetization adjustment pulse sequence, a longitudinal magnetization reverse pulse is transmitted to reverse the longitudinal magnetization components of the arterial blood and the venous blood; and after the transmission of the longitudinal magnetization reverse pulse, a data acquisition pulse sequence is executed in order to acquire data related to the arterial blood when an absolute value of the longitudinal magnetization component of the arterial blood flowing through an imaging area is larger than an absolute value of the longitudinal magnetization component of the venous blood.