Patent ID: 7009396

Claim:
A method of producing an image from an extended volume of interest within a subject using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, the method comprising: translating the extended volume of interest along an axis of the MRI system using a positioning device and imaging portions of the extended volume of interest when they are within the imaging portion of an imaging magnet within the MRI system, wherein the extended volume of interest is larger than an imaging portion of the imaging magnet; detecting a plurality of MR signals from at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil array for a given field-of-view within the MRI system as the positioning device is translating the volume; sending the plurality of MR signals to a plurality of receivers, the receivers each being configured to adjust a receiver parameter; wherein the receiver parameter is adjusted based on direction of the image parallel to a motion of the subject; computing a plurality of respective sub-images corresponding to the plurality MR signals for each of the plurality of receivers and for the given field-of-view (FOV) at a plurality of incremented locations of the subject; extracting a central portion from each of the respective sub-images; and combining only the extracted central portion of each of the respective sub-images in order to form a composite image of the extended volume of interest.