Patent Document ID: 20030055329
Application ID: 09896764
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), comprising: imposing N sets of steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequences on an object to be imaged, the sequences comprising respective initial radio-frequency (RF) excitation pulses, each initial RF excitation pulse having a predetermined phase shift relative to the other initial RF excitation pulses, wherein N is a value chosen from a set of whole numbers larger than one and less than six; setting the phase shift of the RF pulse of the sequences so that the phase shift of the RF pulse of an M th sequence is substantially equal to 27 2 &it; π &af; ( M - 1 ) N radians, N wherein M is a value chosen from a set of whole numbers larger than 0 and less than or equal to N; receiving a respective set of image signals from the object responsive to the N sets of SSFP sequences; and processing the set of received image signals so as to generate an image of the object.