ES97D/ES3H5 Biomedical Imaging and Medical Devices

Lecture 08 MRI Part 7 – Sequences

Module leader Prof Joanna Collingwood, School of Engineering

J.F.Collingwood@warwick.ac.uk
BEFORE VIEWING THIS LECTURE
Please make sure you have:

1. Watched the previous lectures so that you’re up to speed with the

module.

2. Please read Essentials of in vivo biomedical imaging Chapter 3 Sections

3.4 and 3.5, e-book is available via Library
http://encore.lib.warwick.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/Rb2851815
L08 Specific Learning Objectives
1. Identify the main features in an MRI sequence

2. Understand the structure of a

a. Spin echo (including dual echo) sequence
b. Gradient echo sequence
c. Inversion recovery sequence

3. Explain the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic contrast

4. Know which variables affect the following, and how they are interdependent
a. the time taken to run an MRI sequence
b. the spatial resolution achievable in MRI
c. the signal to noise obtained in MRI

5. Describe some of the primary considerations in MRI safety

Basic sequence
• Combines:
➢ RF pulses
➢ Signals
➢ Recovery period  TR determines amount
of longitudinal relaxation
that takes place (i.e. T1)

 TE is from pulse to signal

peak and determines
amount of transverse
mag. decay (i.e. T2)

See: Westbrook, 2005

 Dual echo SE
 RF pulse (one 90°; two
refocusing 180°)

 Gradients:

 GS: slice selective

 GP: phase encoding

 GF: frequency encoding

 Echo: signal from slice

 Spin Echo (SE) used for T1, T2,

and proton density.

 SE sequences can be generated

with multiple refocusing pulses.
T2* decay

T2 plus component
of de-phasing due to
magnetic field
inhomogeneities

See: Westbrook, 2005

 Gradient Echo (GRE)
Generated by a single RF pulse

Key variables:

 Gradients for re-phasing

 Flip angle (10 – 80 deg range)

Large: T1 weighting

Small: T2* weighting

➢ Flip angle variation: to get shorter TR without

saturation

➢ Freq. encoding grad (instead of 180 re-phasing) used –

quicker, so can get faster TE

➢ Only 1 RF pulse so permits very rapid acquisition,

particularly with low flip angle permitting short TR

➢ Challenge: signal loss from magnetic field

inhomogeneities
http://mriquestions.com/gre-vs-se.html
 Inversion recovery
 Used for heavy T1

weighting.

 180° RF pulse to invert

magnetisation vector

 90 ° RF pulse bringing

residual MZ into x-y plane

(where detected with coil).

 Refocused with 180 ° pulse.

See: Westbrook, 2005

 Proton density

• Where signal intensity depends on proton density, signal to noise

(SNR) can be improved with proton density weighting.

• This is achieved by minimising T1 and T2 contributions (i.e. use

short TE, long TR).
Contrast
• Contrast: images of high signal (bright) and low signal (dark) in an MRI image.

• Bright signal occurs where there is a large component of in-phase transverse magnetisation.

• Intrinsic contrast parameters – fundamental properties of the material. Can’t be changed-

e.g.

– T1 recovery time

– T2 decay time

– Proton density

• Extrinsic contrast parameters – can be changed, e.g.

– TR (repetition time for sequence)

– TE (echo time for sequence)

– Flip angle (angle through which NMV is displaced from alignment with scanner field B0)
Weighting
• Selecting measurement
parameters so that one of
the intrinsic contrast
parameters is dominant
• Making it easier to
interpret data where there
are many competing effects
contributing to the signal
• Primarily through control of
Example: to achieve T2 weighting, keep TE long to
TR and TE:
maximise contrast between fat and water
 Variants with Spin Echo seq.

T1 weighted Proton density T2 weighted

See: Westbrook, 2005

What factors affect
• Time (duration) of a scan sequence?
• Spatial resolution?
• Signal to noise ratio (SNR)?
 Time (duration)
 TR

 Number of phase encodings

 Number of signal averages or acquisitions (NSA, or
NA depending on textbook)

See: Westbrook, 2005

Spatial resolution
• Field of view (FOV)
• Phase matrix size
• Slice thickness

Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)

• Coil position!
• pixel area / FOV2
• Slice thickness 128 256
• Proton density
• (NSA)1/2
• 1 / (number of phase encodings)1/2
• 1 / (number of frequency encodings)
• 1 / (receive bandwidth)1/2
• TR, TE, and flip angle – these are illustrated on the next 3 slides
See: Westbrook, 2005
SNR depends on factors including TR:

SNR increases as TR increases

See: Westbrook, 2005

SNR depends on factors including TE:

SNR decreases as TE increases

See: Westbrook, 2005

SNR depends on factors including flip angle:

Flip angle

90 degrees 10 degrees

See: Westbrook, 2005

It’s a trade-off...
NA
NSA

NA
NSA

See: Westbrook, 2005

 SAFETY
• Biological effects of static magnetic fields?

• RF fields?

• Pregnancy

• Ferromagnetic implants
– Intravascular coils

– Vascular clips

– Heart valves

– Dental materials

– Shrapnel etc.

– Pacemakers

• Projectiles

• Claustrophobia

• Etc... http://www.mrisafety.com/#
A demonstrates the magnetic field strength in the MRI scanner before quenching
(releasing the cryogens that keep the magnet superconducting). This should help you
understand why magnetisable objects like coins, phones, keys, screwdrivers, oxygen
bottles etc. MUST be kept out of the room to avoid injury to staff and patients. The field is
*always* on, even when the scanner is out of use between scans.
If you watch the beginning and end of this clip, you can
see the comparable behaviour of magnetisable objects
in the scanner before and after it is quenched.
WHAT NEXT?

1. Please read the Bennett-Salmon-2009 pdf file in the Download folder to

look at in conjunction with the next lecture.

2. In the next lecture we will look at applications of MRI.

END OF LECTURE