Patent ID: 7570985

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: monitor image acquiring means for acquiring magnetic resonance images of a plurality of slices of a monitor region of a patient, on the basis of a pulse sequence for monitor scans; projection means for repeatedly generating projection images, each projection image being obtained by performing projection processing on the magnetic resonance images of the plurality of slices acquired by said monitor image acquiring means; display means for outputting displays of said projection images, said displayed projection images enabling monitor images to indicate the state of flow of a contrast agent in a patient and to facilitate identifying start timing for imaging scans by an operator; input means permitting input of an imaging scan instruction while said projection images are being displayed; and image acquiring means for acquiring magnetic resonance images of an image region of interest of said patient, on the basis of a pulse sequence for imaging scans, in accordance with the instruction input via said input means wherein the monitor region is situated upstream of the image region with respect to an injected contrast agent.