Patent ID: 7750632

Claim:
A method, implemented by a magnetic resonance imaging scanner, for producing a magnetic resonance image of an object having a short T 2 relaxation time, the method comprising: with the magnetic resonance imaging scanner, applying a pulse sequence to the object, wherein the pulse sequence comprises: a slab-selective radiofrequency pulse; a slab-selective gradient pulse; a plurality of variable duration slice encoding gradient pulses; a plurality of first spiral encoding gradient pulses; and a plurality of second spiral encoding gradient pulses; with the magnetic resonance imaging scanner, detecting a spirally encoded and phase encoded magnetic resonance signal associated with the object, wherein the detection of the spirally encoded and phase encoded magnetic resonance signal occurs concurrently with: the application of one of the plurality of first spiral encoding gradient pulses; and the application of one of the plurality of second spiral encoding gradient pulses; and with the magnetic resonance imaging scanner, reconstructing the magnetic resonance image based on the spirally encoded and phase encoded magnetic resonance signal.