Outline

Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance

Imaging
- Hardware and Principle
History of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MR Imaging Hardware System

Principle of MRI

Timeline of MR Imaging Nobel Prizes for Magnetic Resonance

1972 – Damadian 1985 – Insurance

patents idea for large reimbursements for • 1944: Rabi (Physics)
NMR scanner to detect MRI exams begin.
malignant tissue. resonance method for recording magnetic properties of atomic nuclei
1973 – Lauterbur
1924 - Pauli suggests 1937 – Rabi measures publishes method for
MRI scanners become
clinically prevalent.
• 1952: Felix Bloch and Edward Mills Purcell (Physics)
that nuclear particles magnetic moment of
nucleus. Coins
generating images Basic science of NMR phenomenon
may have angular using NMR gradients.
momentum (spin). “magnetic resonance”.
NMR renamed MRI
• 1991: Richard Ernst
Chemistry (High-resolution pulsed FT-NMR)
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

1946 – Purcell shows that 1973 – Mansfield

1990 – Ogawa and
colleagues create
• 2002: Kurt Wüthrich
matter absorbs energy at a independently
resonant frequency. 1959 – Singer publishes gradient
functional images using Chemistry (3D molecular structure in solution by NMR)
measures blood flow approach to MR. endogenous, blood-
using NMR (in mice). oxygenation contrast.

1946 – Bloch demonstrates 1975 – Ernst develops • 2003: Paul Lauterbur & Peter Mansfield
that nuclear precession can be
measured in detector coils.
2D-Fourier transform for
MR.
Physiology or Medicine (MRI technology)

Source: http://www.fonar.com/timelineofmri.htm
 Instrumentation (1) Instrumentation (2)

Modern 3 Tesla
MRI unit (Philips)

Bore of the magnet

RF Coil (for head) Magnet Gradient Coil RF Coil

Main magnet
body

Patient Couch
Source: Joe Gati, photos

Main Components of a Scanner Static Magnet (1)

• Permanent Magnet
• open
• C-Shape
• Standing MRI
Advantage:
-Simple
-Comfortable
-Inexpensive
-No need to use liquid Helium
-Low maintenance cost
Disadvantage:
-Low field strength (normally <0.7T)
-Field inhomogeneity
-Sensitive to temperature change
 Static Magnet (2) Start
Magnetic Field Strength

• Superconductive Magnet • Measured by Tesla (T) vs Gauss (G)

• closed • 1T = 10,000G
• cylindrical • Earths magnetic field ~ 0.3~0.7G
• Clinical MRI typically between 0.7T and 3.0T. It is very strong!
Advantage:
-High-field (normally >1.5T)
High field MRI
-High stability 5A
Advantage: Disadvantage:
-High homogeneity
1) High SNR 1) High cost
-Cost low
2) Short acquisition time 2) High noise
Disadvantage: 1cm
3) Enable advanced MR 3) High SAR
-Expensive
1 Guass imaging, such as 4) High artefact
-Helium needed MRS, BOLD etc
-High maintenance cost

Gradient Magnets RF Coils

• "antenna" of the MRI system

• broadcasts the RF signal • Provides the best RF homogeneity
• Commonly used as a transceiver coil
and/or • e.g., head, knee
• receives the return signal

• Commonly for the knee • two parallel circular coils

• Better homogeneity • pelvis imaging and cervical
• Volume coil spine imaging

• loop of wire
• depth of the image generally limited to about one radius
• for spines, shoulders, small body parts
 About Atom: A Review Spin

• Atom = nucleus + electrons Protons (nuclear constituent of atom) have a property of angular
To differentiate • Nucleus = neutrons + protons momentum known as spin
atoms
• Atom number = # protons
Motion of electrically charged particles results in a magnetic force
Same atom • Atom weight = #neutrons + # protons orthogonal to the direction of motion
number but
different atom The spin value depends on the atomic number and atomic weight of the
weight are particular nucleus.
different isotopes

Why 1H? Protons Aligning within a Magnetic Field

In “field free” space Inside magnetic field

Reasons for choosing 1H:

1)1H occupies the largest proportion M
- 3*1022/ml in water
1) Gyromagnetic ratio is much larger than others, and thus the magnetic
resonance signal is the largest
3) Different forms in biological organ
- water
randomly oriented oriented with or against B0
- fat M = net magnetization
• when placed in a magnetic field (B0; e.g., our MRI machines) protons will either align
1H with the magnetic field
So by default, MRI is imaging!
• there is a small difference in the number of protons in the low and high energy
states – with more in the low state leading to a net magnetization (M)

Source: Mark Cohen’s web slides Source: Robert Cox’s web slides Source: Jody Culham’s web slides
 Precession
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1944
For “resonance method for recording the magnetic
Protons precess in external magnetic field. The precessional axis is
properties of atomic nuclei”
parallel to the external magnetic field.
Rabi predicted that the magnetic moments of nuclei
could be induced to flip their magnetic orientation if
they absorbed energy from an electromagnetic wave
of the right frequency. They would also emit this
same amount of energy in falling back to the lower
Isidor Isaac Rabi energy orientation, and Rabi would be able to detect
(1898-1988) this transition from one energy state to the other. He
Austrian called this method molecular beam magnetic
resonance.

Source: Mark A. Brown, Richard C. Semelka

Larmor Equation Gyromagnetic Ratio γ

• Frequency (rate) of precession is proportional to the strength of

magnetic field

Resonance Magnetic field (T)

frequency (MHz)

γ: Gyromagnetic ratio
Unit of γ/2 π : MHz/T

Larmor frequency slightly depends on the molecular structure the

protons 1H belong to. Fat molecules are large and surrounded by many
electrons, which reduce the effective external field. This way the Larmor
frequency of fat is roughly 150 Hz lower at 1 T (220 Hz at 1.5 T) than that
of water.
 Question
Question Net Macroscopic Magnetization (no B0)

• For the following scanners,

when an external magnetic field is absence
• What is the resonance frequency of the following nuclei in
each of the magnetic fields?
GE 0.7 Tesla
1H
Phillips 3.0 Tesla SIEMENS 7.0 Tesla = (0,0,0)
low field MRI 23Na
Clinical MRI High field MRI
31P

γ/2 π Bo = 0.7T Bo = 3.0T Bo = 7T

(MHz/T)
1H 42.57
23Na 11.26
31P 17.23

Net Macroscopic Magnetization (with B0) Zeeman Effect

• The phenomenon of quantized energy states in the presence of an

external magnetic field is known as the Zeeman effect
• The energy difference (∆E) between the two levels is exactly
proportional to the frequency v and thus the magnetic field B0:

low energy state (spin up)

high energy state (spin down)

h (Planck's constant)
= 6.626 × 10-34 J•s
Net Macroscopic Magnetization (with RF) Effect of a 90o Pulse Excitation

Before:
1) # low-energy protons are slightly more than # high energy protons
2) No net magnetization in the transverse plane -- the phase of transverse components
are random
After:
1) half of the “different” protons with low energy reversed their energy state
no net
macroscopic longitudinal magnetization
2) The phase of the transverse component are consistent

Coordinate System Flip Angle α

Absorption of the RF energy of frequency causes M0 to

rotate away from its equilibrium orientation by an angle α

Bo

Break
 Types of Relaxation After break Longitudinal Relaxation

T1 decay describes the longitudinal magnetization returns to equilibrium.

• When the RF is turned off, the return to equilibrium is
called relaxation Mz(t) = Mo(1 - e-t/T1).

• The protons immediately begin to realign themselves and T1 = time required for Mz to recover 63% of its original value
return to their original equilibrium orientation
• Longitudinal relaxation – precessing protons are pulled back into
alignment with main magnetic field of the scanner (Bo) reducing
size of the magnetic moment vector in the x-y plane
• Transverse relaxation – precessing protons become out of phase
leading to a drop in the net magnetic moment vector (Mo)

• Transverse relaxation occurs much faster than

longitudinal relaxation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0dl4_wxr1c&list=PLCD41685D8499AAB1

Transverse Relaxation Summary of Relaxation

T2 decay describes the return to equilibrium of the transverse magnetization, MXY

Mxy(t) = Mxyoe-t/T2

T2 = time required for 63% of the initial magnetization (Mxy) to dissipate

Energy emission

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-Dg5jmV-8&list=PLCD41685D8499AAB1
 MR signal T2 Weighted Imaging

For T2: A > B

Tissue A Tissue A
Signal
Mxy Mxy
Tissue A
Tissue A MR signal
Mxy Tissue A

Tissue A Tissue B Tissue B Tissue B Signal

Mz Mz Mxy Mxy Tissue B
Tissue B MR signal 1. For Tissue A and B 2. When 900 RF pulse 3. After some time, for 4. The MR signal: A > B
Mxy PD are the same is on, for Mxy, A = B Mxy, A > B
Tissue B

Mz are the same

when 900 RF pulse is
on, Mz changed to 0
PD=proton density

T1 Weighted Imaging
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1952
“for their development of new methods for nuclear magnetic precision
Given T1: A > B measurements and discoveries in connection therewith”
- Scientific principle of MRI

Tissue A
Signal
Mxy
Tissue A

Tissue A Tissue B Tissue A Tissue B Tissue B Felix Bloch Edward Mills Purcell
Mz Mz Mz Mz Mxy Signal Switzerland U.S.A
Tissue B
1. For Tissue A and B 2. When 900 RF pulse 3. Apply another 900 RF pulse - determine the time evolution - relaxation phenomena
PD are the same is off, Mz gradually Mz gradually recovered. of nuclear magnetization - related problems of molecular structure
4. MR signal: A > B - measurement of atomic constants,

Mz are the same recovered. For Mxy, A > B

when 900 RF pulse is For Mz, A > B - nuclear magnetic behaviour at low
on, Mz changed to 0 temperatures
 Summary
• For samples in external magnetic field, the
sample is exposed to energy at the correct
frequency that will be absorbed.
• A short time later, this energy is reemitted,
which can be detected and processed.
• A brief summary video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CGzk-
nV06g