Patent Document ID: 9737222
Application ID: 14717728
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for performing a non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (“MRA”) for a subject, the method comprising: a) directing a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) system to perform a pulse sequence to acquire k-space data from imaging slices that are oriented away from an axial direction of the subject, the pulse sequence comprising: i) applying at least one radio frequency (“RF”) saturation pulse to a selected region in the subject at least partially suppressing magnetic resonance signals therein; ii) applying at least one RF saturation pulse to an imaging slice outside the selected region at least partially suppressing magnetic resonance signals therein; iii) waiting a period of time sufficiently long to allow saturated vascular spins from the selected region to flow into the imaging slice and to allow unsaturated vascular spins from outside the selected region to flow into the imaging slice; iv) acquiring k-space data from the imaging slice following the period of time; b) repeating steps a)i) through a)iv) for a plurality of imaging slices, wherein a field-of-view (“FOV”) of at least one of the plurality of imaging slices is shifted by a predetermined value; and c) reconstructing, using the acquired k-space data, one or more angiographic images indicative of the subject's vasculature.