Patent ID: 6980001

Claim:
A parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus configurable to image a physical entity, said apparatus comprising: a main magnetic flux source for providing a uniform fixed magnetic field, B 0 ; an RF array system comprising a plurality of RF coils and receivers, said RF system configured for: generating at least one rotating RF excitation magnetic field B 1 ; and receiving RF signals due to precessing nuclear magnetization on multiple spatially distinct radio frequency coils and associated receiver channels, said RF system being configured to operate in accordance with a B 1 sensitivity encoding technique; a control processor for controlling imaging functionality, collecting image data and effecting data processing of said captured image data said control processor being configured with post processing capability for said B 1 sensitivity encoding technique; an image display means for displaying processed image data as resultant images; and an auxiliary magnetic field means capable of producing at least one auxiliary uniform B 0 step magnetic field imaging region within said main B 0 magnetic field, said auxiliary magnetic field means configured to operate in combination with said RF coil system and said B 1 sensitivity encoding technique, said imaging apparatus thereby providing faster image acquisition than that attributed to the speed up factor provided solely by the B 1 sensitivity encoding technique.