JUSAY, JERICK G.

MRI MIDTERMS PERMANENT MAGNETS

IMAGING EQUIPMENT
Physically, a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite
resembles a computed tomography (CT) scan facility
• Bricklike ceramics are assembled for use in MRI and
provides about 0.3 Tesla
• Production of uniform magnetic fields fashion is difficult
• The capital cost is much lower with an operating cost of
nearly zero.
• Mainly seen in OPEN MRI scanners such as Hitachi
AIRIS
• Does not require cooling system

Resemblance include the large gantry, with an attached

movable patient couch, MRI console, associated computer and
power supplies are located in separate rooms

Resemblance is however purely superficial

RESISITIVE MAGNETS
• A simple current-carrying wire loop produces a magnetic
field
• With about 4 large coils of around 1.5 meters in diameter
are arranged concentrically so that magnetic field within
the coil is sufficiently uniform for MRI
IMAGING MAGNETS

In MRI, the patient is placed in a uniform magnetic field in the

aperture of the gantry

The types of magnets suitable for MR imaging can be

classified into three groups:

1. Permanent magnets
2. Resistive magnets
3. Superconductive magnets • The coils must be both precisely manufactured and
carefully positioned to meet the required field homogeneity
IMAGING MAGNETS • MRI requires fairly large magnetic fields
• Magnetic fields of the coils push strongly against one
Imaging magnets can be can be categorized in terms of their
another, requiring the coils be mounted on a rigid
field strength e
framework to reduce mechanical distortion
• Ultrahigh field (4.0 to 7.0 Tesla): Mainly used for • Continuous electric power on the order of 80 kW is
research required to energize these resistive coils
• High field (1.5 to 3.0 Tesla) • The wires used in such coils is a good conductor, but not a
• Midfield (0.5 to 1.4 Tesla) perfect conductor.
• Low field (0.2 to 0.4 Tesla) • Magnets have some small but finite resistance, and they
• Ultralow Field (<0.2 Tesla) are called resistive magnets.
• Due to resistance, heat is still produced.
JUSAY, JERICK G.

• Resistive magnets must be water cooled. DEWAR

• Such as the .23 T Philips Panorama and the Fonar 0.6 T • Inside the dewar are two chambers
Standup • The outermost chamber is filled with liquid nitrogen that
• They are based on the principles of electromagnetism has a temperature of 77 K (-196.15 Celsius Degree)
• Electric current running through a coil produces magnetic • The liquid nitrogen acts as an intermediate insulator
field between the room temperature on the outside and the
• Magnets can be turned off and on interior chamber
• The interior chamber is filled with liquid helium at 4.2
Kelvin (-269 Celsius Degree)
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS • Superconducting coils are suspended in this bath of liquid
• In 1960’s it was discovered that certain types of metal helium
alloys will become perfect conductors • Separating the cryogenic chambers from each other and
• These conductors will have no resistance to passage of an from the environment are vacuum chambers
electric current when their temperature is dropped to
approximately 10 Kelvin
• At room temperature, these materials will behave like a
normal conductor
• At cryogenic state, they will become superconductors
• They contain coils made from a superconducting metal
alloy
• They are from electromagnets
• There would be almost no resistance in their wires
• It allows the use of very high current to generate a high SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS
magnetic field without generating significant heat
• Most of the scanners available today are superconducting • Liquid Nitrogen and Liquid Helium gradually evaporate. It
magnets is maintained from replenishment periodically
• Cryogenerator collects vaporized helium them
ADVANTAGES: recompress to liquid state for reuse
• There is no problem with Heat dissipation because there is
no resistance
• Since the loop of wire have no resistance, no energy is SECONDARY COILS
lost
• It does not require water-cooling system
• It can produce up to 4 Tesla

DISADVANTAGES:
• Difficulty of maintaining the magnet coils at near absolute
zero

To resolve, the entire coil assembly must be housed inside a

giant, highly insulated container with a smooth, shiny exterior
like a thermos called DEWAR

SHIM COILS (GRADIENT COIL)

• Homogeneity of magnetic is the primary requirement for

an imaging magnet
• A 1T magnet should produce a field in the imaging volume
varying by not more than +/- 50 microTesla or 50 ppm
• If the homogeneity is worse than this, image quality will be
degraded
• Used to create a more uniform external magnetic field
• It is a drum with 30 individual windings positioned inside
the aperture of the main magnet
• Each winding has its own power supply Magnet Shimming
• It is the adjustment of the current and polarity to produce
maximum homogeneity of the main magnetic field
JUSAY, JERICK G.
QUADRATURE COILS
• There are two receivers in 90 degrees to one another
• Distinguishes real and imaginary components of the
received signals
• Can improve the SNR by a factor of square root of 2
SOLENOID COILS
• Can be wrapped around the patient and increase SNR
• Usually used in lower field magnets
• Has a vertically oriented magnetic field
PHASED-ARRAY COILS
• Contains multiple small surface coils
• Positioned on either side of the anatomy of interest
• Allows faster scanning with finer details
IMAGING GRADIENT COILS
• Produces gradient magnetic field, a slight variation of
magnetic field. To obtain projections from a variety of
directions, gradient magnetic field along the x, y and z
axes must be oriented
• THREE ORTHOGONAL GRADIENTS ARE USED
CORRESPONDING THE AXES X, Y AND Z
They are referred to as:
1. Slice-select gradient
2. Phase-encoding gradient
3. Frequency-encoding gradient
• Z-gradient coils are used for selection of transverse slice
• When the Z gradient is “on”, the RF pulse can be precisely
tuned so that only the hydrogen nuclei in a given slice
patient are energized
• The strength of gradient magnetic field and the shape of
the RF pulse determine the width of the slice selected
• X gradient are used for the selection of coronal slice
• Y gradient coils are selected for sagittal slices
• X, Y and Z gradient coils are used for the selection of
coronal slice for selection of oblique slices
PLANE OF IMAGING
Selection of gradient coils along x-, y-, z- and z- is arbitrary
• Z axis is along the long axis of the magnet in craniocaudal
• Y axis to be in posteroanterior direction
• X axis to be from right to left
GRADIENT COILS
• In Two-dimensional Fourier Transformation (2DFT)
imaging of transverse anatomy, Z gradient is switched on
during the excitation RF pulse to select appropriate slices
• While receiving the MRi signals, the X and Y gradient coils
will be turned on in sequence
• The X gradient conventionally is termed the “frequency-
encoding” gradient and the Y gradient the “phase
encoding gradient”
• The plane of the scan can be determined totally
electronically
• The MRI imager has no moving parts and can produce
multiplanar images
• The gradient coils are usually embedded in a ring fitting
snugly inside the shim coils within the patient aperture
• Causes an intentional perturbation of the magnetic field
homogeneity
• Perturbation is usually in linear fashion which allows
spatial information recognition and localization in its space
• Variation in external magnetic field will allow spatial
encoding
RF PROBES
• Same antenna coil that transmits the RF pulse into the
patient is also used to detect the MRI signals
• The shape of the antenna itself can range from a simple
coil of wire to complex, three-dimensional, figure-eight
shapes.
• The most popular coil configuration is the saddle-shaped
coil
• They are usually embedded in plastic, fiberglass, or some
other insulator
• The RF probe is located inside the gradient coils and
closest to the patient
• A transmitter coil sends or transmits and RF pulse
• A receiver coil receives an RF impulse
• Some coils are both transmitter and receiver (surface
coils)
• The body coil is a fixed part of the magnet that surrounds
the patient
• A head coil is a helmet like device that surrounds the
patient’s head (Transceiver)
• Surface coil improves signal to noise ratio in ROI
JUSAY, JERICK G.

FACILITY DESIGN

Non-magnetic materials should be used for the structure and

finish of the examination room

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reinforcing rods should be

substituted for iron reinforcing bars in any structural concrete
slab or walls

All electrical penetrations into the room must have electrical

filters to remove interfering frequencies

Plumbing should not be iron but PVC or copper Lighting

should be direct current.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELDING
• The range of RF used in MRI is very crowded with
commercial and amateur radio broadcasts and other
interference generated by power transmission and
electronic system
• Interferences can easily be strong enough to mask the
faint MRI signals front the patient.
• A carefully constructed wire-mesh shield, called Faraday
Cage (RF Shield) enclosing the MR imager is necessary
to attenuate these extraneous sources of RF
• Faraday cage can be concealed by gypsum board or wood
paneling.
• Shielding screens outside sources of RF interference

MAGNETIC SHIELDING
• The external magnetic field Bo is very intense and
consist of closed imaginary lines of magnetic field
• The magnetic field outside the patient aperture is called
the fringe magnetic field
• Fringe magnetic field can interfere with proper operation of
nearby mechanical and electronic equipment
• Any large mass of ferromagnetic material can distort the
homogeneity of the imaging volume by interacting with the
fringe magnetic field
• A distortion of the fringe magnetic field results in a
compensating distortion in the imaging volume and
degrades the image
• Addition of an iron wall reduces the intensity of the fringe
magnetic field and degrades the homogeneity of the
imaging field
JUSAY, JERICK G.

MRI IMAGING TECHNIQUES

REVIEW OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES IN MRI

• NMR is a chemical analytical technique and later on
developed into MRI
• Electromagnetic waves
• Spin and Electromagnetic Field
• Magnetic Susceptibility of a substance is a measure of
tendency of being magnetized
• Resonance
• Relaxation Time
• FID detection, collection and measurement
• Static and gradient magnetic field
• A self-shielded magnet is one that has iron positioned as
an integral part of the magnet rather than in the walls of Felix Bloch theorized that spinning charged particle creates an
the examination room electromagnetic field
• An actively shielded magnet has in the helium chamber
additional superconducting windings that have reverse Why Hydrogen?
electrical polarity. • Odd number of proton (one proton)
• The reversal of electric current creates an opposing • Abundance
magnetic field that result to reduction of total fringe
magnetic field
• Bo field is maintained with even improved homogeneity

SAGITTAL
• Slice select: x
• Phase-encoding: y
• Frequency-encoding: z
CORONAL
• Slice-select: y
• Phase-encoding: x
• Frequency encoding: z
JUSAY, JERICK G.

AXIAL Mo A partial flip is achieved by decreasing either the

• Slice-select: z strength or the duration of RF pulse
• Phase-encoding: y • A 180 degrees pulse exactly reverses the equilibrium
• Frequency-encoding: x northward-pointing excess without inducing phase
coherence (transverse magnetization)

T1 RELAXATION TIME
• Longitudinal relaxation time; Thermal Relaxation time
• Refers to the time it takes for the spins to realign along the
longitudinal (z)-axis
• It is the spin-lattice relaxation time
• Refers to the time it takes for the spin to give energy they
obtain from RF pulse back to the surrounding lattice in
order to go back to equilibrium state

• After 90 degrees pulse, magnetization Mxy precesses

within the X-y plane, oscillating around the z-axis with all
protons rotating in phase
• After magnetization has been flipped 90 degrees into the
x-y plane, RF pulse is turned off
• Every system seeks its lowest energy level
1. The spin will go back to the lowest energy state
2. The spins will get out of phase with each other
• A time constant that characterizes the rate at which the Mz
component recovers its initial magnetization Mo.

Due to static magnetic field (Bo) the spins line up in the
direction of Z
This results in Net Magnetization
90 DEGREES RADIOFREQUENCY PULSE
• Due to Static magnetic field (Bo) the spins line up in the
direction of Z
• This results in Net Magnetization
• A pulsed external RF will flip the magnetization vector 90
degrees into the x-y plane (Mxy)
• Protons that are aligned with the Bo are in two energy
states
180 DEGREES RADIOFREQUENCY PULSE
• After 180 degrees pulse, the longitudinal magnetization
vector is inverted
• Has a twice power and twice the duration of 90 degrees
RF
• After a 180 degrees RF pulse, the excess north-pointing
spins are boosted from low energy state to high energy
state
• A 180 degrees pulse exactly reverses the equilibrium
northward-pointing excess without inducing phase
coherence (transverse magnetization)
PARTIAL FLIP
• Flip less than 90 degrees
• In case, the component of magnetization ending up in the
x-y plane is less than the magnitude of the original Vector
T1 RELAXATION TIME
• These events result from two simultaneous but separate
processes occurring after the RF pulse is turned off
1. The Mxy component of the magnetization vector
decreases rapidly
2. The Mxy component slowly recovers along the z-axis
T2 RELAXATION TIME
• A time constant the characterizes the rate at which the
Mxy component decays
• As the longitudinal magnetization vector Mz recovers, the
transverse vector Mxy decays at the rate
• The recovery magnetization along the z-axis and the
decay of magnetization within the x-y plane are two
independent processes at two different rates
• T2 decay occurs 5S to 10 times more rapidly than T1
recovery
• It is the transverse relaxation time; Spin-spin relaxation
time
After the 90 degrees RF pulse is turned off, all spins are in
phase, there are two phenomena that will make the spins get
out of phase
1. Interaction Between Individual Spins
-When two spins are next to each other, the magnetic
field of one proton affects the proton next to it
-the precessional frequency will be influenced by an
adjacent proton
-first cause of dephasing is inherent in the tissue and
it is called a spin-spin interaction
2. External Magnetic Field Inhomogeneity
-inhomogeneity makes protons in different locations
precessses at different frequencies because each
spin is exposed to magnetic field strength
-varying frequencies are very close to each other and
very close to the true Larmor Frequency
JUSAY, JERICK G.
-tiny differences in frequency results in spin
dephasing
Two causes of spin dephasing:
a. Spin-spin interactions (Internal Inhomogeneities)
b. External magnetic field inhomogeneities
• These phenomena together cause protons to spin slightly
different frequencies
• Assuming there are 3 protons
Proton 1: precessing at the true Larmor frequency
Proton 2: Exposed in a slightly higher magnetic fields,
precessing at frequency slightly faster than the Larmor
frequency
Proton 3: Exposed to slightly weaker magnetic fields
precessing at a frequency slightly lower than the Larmor
frequency
T2 RELAXATION TIME
• If the three protons in the x-y plane gets completely out of
phase. The net magnetic field within the x-y plane will go
to O
• At time t=0, all spins in phase, and their vector sum will be
at maximum magnitude
• As spins dephase with each other, their summation vector
will become smaller and smaller
• When all spins are completely out of phase with each
other, their vector sum will become zero
• The effect of spin-spin interaction depends to a degree on
the proximity of the spins to each other
• Dephasing effect on spin-spin interaction might not be as
prominent in water as it is in solid tissue
THE RECEIVED SIGNAL
• The RF coil is often both transmitter and receiver
• The signal is received at the same location at which it is
transmitted
• The frequency of received signal is at Larmor Frequency
• Free induction decay (FID) After RF is turned off:
1. The spin begin to precess freely
2. The signal starts to decay with time
3. The spins induce a current in the receiver coil
• The FID results from an oscillating magnetic field
generated by the oscillating spins which induces current in
the signal
THE RECEIVED SIGNAL
• The general form of the received signal is based on: a. A
varying oscillating signal
b. A decaying signal, which decays with time constant T2*
T2 DEPENDS ON:
a. External magnetic field
b. Spin-spin interactions
c. Inhomogeneity of external magnetic field
T2* decay depends primary on spin-spin interaction
T2* is always less than the T2
T2* decay is always faster than T2 decay
TR, TE AND TISSUE CONTRAST
• To obtain optimal spatial information, the process of
acquisition must be repeated multiple times
• TR and Te are related intimately to the tissue parameters
T1 and T2
• However, Tl and T2 are inherent, while TE and TR are
controllable and adjustable
• Appropriate TR and TE can enable more “weight” on T1
and T2, depending on clinical applications
• Received signal can be detected only along the direction
of the
• RF transmitter/receiver coil
• The receiver coil only recognizes oscillating signals (AC
voltage), thus rotation in x-y plane induces a signal in the
RF coil
TR, TE AND TISSUE CONTRAST
• At time t=0, the signal is at a maximum
• As time goes by, the signal become weaker in sinusoidal
manner, because of dephasing.
TR (REPETITION TIME)
• It is the time between the the applications of RF pulse
• During successive 90 degrees RF pulse, the following
occurs to the T1 recovery curve.
a. Before time t=0, the magnetization vector points along
the z-axis (vector Mo with Magnitude Mo)
b. After Time t=0, magnetization vector Mxy lies in the x-
y plane, without a component along the Z-axis. Mxy
has magnitude at t=0
c. Upon reaching TR, gradual recovery of magnetization
occur along Z-axis and lost of magnetization in the x-y
plane occurs
d. Mz at TR is less than the original magnetization vector
Mo due to the second 90 degrees RF pulse before
complete recover of Mz
e. After magnetization is flipped back into the x-y plane.
It will grow again along the z-axis until the next TR it
will again be flipped into the x-y plane
TR (REPETITION TIME)- RECEIVED SIGNAL
1. At time t=0, the initial signal will be strong FID
2. At time t=TR, the signal will be slightly less in magnitude but
will also be an FID
3. At time t=2TR, the signal will be equal in magnitude
• For a given tissue, the T1 and proton density are constant
• FID acquired at TR intervals are maximal if the can be
measured right after 90 degrees RF pulse or right at the
beginning of FID
TE (ECHO DELAY TIME OR TIME TO ECHO)
• A short time period wherein in RF pulse is measured short
after rather than immediately
• In T2* curve FID signals at the x-y plane decays rapidly
due to:
1. External magnetic field inhomogeneity
2. Spin-spin interaction
• T1 recovery and T2 decay processes occur
simultaneously
• T2 decay curve (time scale TE) will be decaying much
faster than the T1 curve in recovering (time scale TR)
JUSAY, JERICK G.
TISSUE CONTRAST T1 AND T2 WEIGHTING
T1 AND T2 WEIGHTING
• A long TR will eliminate the T1 component
• Long TR reduces the T! effect
• With TR at 2000 - 3000 msec, T1 effect is minimized
• Short TR enhances the T1 contrast
• Short TE=TE1
• Long TE=TE2 – gives more contrast
• A very short TE will eliminate the T2* effect
• Short TE reduces T2* effect
• Long TE enhances T2* contrast
T2 CHARACTERISTICS (TISSUE CONTRAST)
• It is determined by how fast the proton spin in that tissue
dephase
• If tissue dephase rapidly, short T2 is obtained
• If they dephase more slowly, longer T2 is obtained
A. On water
- Because of structure and sparsity of these
molecules, spin-=spin interaction among H protons is
minimal
- Therefore, dephasing occurs at a much slower rate
in water compared with tissues
B. On solids
- Solid is very compact, with many interactions
between H protons
- Larger number of Spin-spin interaction results in
more dephasing
- T2 for solid is short
C. On fat and Proteinaceous
-Structure of these materials is such that there is less
dephasing than in solids but more dephasing in water
- T2 for proteinaceous material or fat is intermediate
T1 CHARACTERISTICS
• T1 of a tissue has something to do with the way the
protons are able to give off their energy to the surrounding
lattice or to absorb the energy from the lattice
• The most efficient energy transfer occurs when the natural
motional frequencies of the protons are at the Larmor
frequency
A. On water
- H protons in small H20 molecule have higher natural
motional frequencies
- Natural motional frequency of H protons in water is
also much faster than the Larmor frequency for
hydrogen
B. On solids
- H protons in solid have lower natural motional
frequencies of H protons in solid and somewhat
slower than the Larmor frequency for hydrogen
C. Fat
- H protons in fat have natural motional frequencies
that are almost equal to the Larmor Frequencies used
in MRI
-It is caused by rotational frequency of carbons
around the terminal C-C bond
-Efficiency of energy transfer from the protons to the
lattice or from the lattice to the protons is increased,
thus decreasing T1
D. Proteinaceous Solutions
-Most of the H20 in the body is not in the pure state
but is bound to a hydrophilic molecule such as protein
-Hydration layer water (H20 molecules form hydration
layers around the macromolecule
-These bound of H20 molecules lose some of the
freedom on their motion resulting to a natural motional
frequencies almost equal to the Larmor Frequency
-This yielding more efficient energy transfer
-This results in shortening the T1 relaxation
-Proteinaceous fluid (hydration layer water) are bright
than water in T1l-weighted images
-If the protein content is high enough, hydration water
can cause T2 shortening generally seen in gels and
mucinous fluids
-Such fluid may appear darker than pure fluid on T2-
weighted images
-T1 for H20 and solid is long, the energy transfer is
not efficient, because the difference between the
Larmor Frequency and natural motional frequencies
of H proton in H20 is greeted than H protons in solid
tissue
-T1 and T2 curves
- Fat has the shortest T1 and will have the steepest
T1 recovery curve
- Proteinaceous fluid also has a short T1
- H2O has the longest T1 and will have the slowest T1
recovery curve
- Solid tissue has intermediate T1
At TR, another RF is transmitted
1. H20 has a very long T2, so it will have a very shallot
T2 decay curve
2. Solid tissue has short T2 and will decay fairly rapidly
3. Fat has an intermediate T2
4. Proteinaceous fluid may have a short or intermediate
T2 depending in the protein content
D. Proteinaceous Solutions
- Therefore, with a long enough TE
1. H2O has the highest signal intensity
2. Solid tissue has the lowest signal intensity
3. Fat has an intermediate signal intensity
4. Proteinaceous fluid has an intermediate or low signal
intensity depending on its protein content ab
- If the TE is really short, T1 or proton density effect is obtained
1. Fat has the highest intensity
2. Proteinaceous fluid has high intensity similar to fat
3. Solid tissue has intermediate intensity
4. H20 has the lowest intensity
D. Proteinaceous Solutions
1. T1 weighted- TR and TE are short
2. T2 weighted- TR and TE are long
3. Proton Density weighted- TR is long and TE is short
• Brain tissues in a T1 recovery curve
1. White matter is bright. The myelin sheaths acts like
fat; with more efficient energy exchange, it has a
shorter longitudinal relaxation than does gray matter
2. Gray matter is intermediate; without myelin, it acts
more like a typical solid tissue
JUSAY, JERICK G.

3. CSF is dark; like water, it has inefficient energy SCAN PARAMETERS

exchange and thus same long longitudinal relaxation,
T1 1. Signal-to-Noise Ratio
1. CSF, like H20 has the least dephasing, and thus the
longest T2 • Depends on voxel volume (x*y*z)
2. White matter has a slightly shorter T2 than gray • Depends on # of excitation
matter • # of phase -encoding steps
• # of frequency-encoding steps
• Full Bandwidth

2. Number of Excitation (NEX)

• It is the frequency of repeated scan

3. Ny

• Number of phase-encoding steps

• If Ny is doubled, SNR increases by factor of 41%

Voxel volume

• Proportional to proton spins and signal from the

voxel

SNR can be increased by:

1. Increasing TR
2. Decreasing TE
3. Using lower BW
4. Using volume imaging
5. Increasing NEX, Ny and Nx
6. Increasing voxel size

4. Bandwidth (BW)

• BW and SNR are inversely proportional

• Wider BW, more noise, lower SNR
• Lower BW will result to:

1. Higher SNR
2. Increased chemical shift artifact
3. Longer minimum TE (Less signal due to more
T2 decay)
4. Decreased number of slices due to longer TE

5. Resolution

• It is the minimum distance that can distinguish

between two points on an image
• A better resolution means poorer SNR
• Increasing Ny will make the pixel size smaller thus
decreasing SNR and increasing the FOV
JUSAY, JERICK G.

6. TR PULSE SEQUENCE
Increase in TR will result to: • A sequence of radio frequency RF) pulses applied
• Increase SNR repeatedly during an R study
• Increase in coverage • Embedded in it are TR and TE time parameters
• Decreases T1 weighting • Related to a timing diagram or pulse sequence
• Increases proton density and T2 weighting diagram (PSD)
• Increases scan time

7. TE
Increasing TE will result to:
• Increases T2 weighting
• Increases dephasing and decrease SNR
• Decrease number of possible slices
• No change in scan time

8. Coverage
• It is the distance covered by a multislice acquisition
• Depends on the number of slices, slice thickness
and interslice gap
Coverage is increased with:
• Increased slice thickness, interslice gap and TR
• Decreased last TE and Sampling time
Scan Parameters
• Primary parameters are those that are set directly:
• Contributing factor to image contrast: TR; TE; TI
FA (flip angle)
• Contributing factor to coverage: Slice Thickness;
Interslice Gap
Contributing factors to SNR
• Number of excitations or Acquisitions (NEX)
• Contributing factors to spacing in x and y direction
1. FOVx
2. FOVy
3. Nx- # of frequency encoding steps
4. Ny- # of phase encoding steps
Saturation
• After the longitudinal magnetization has been flipped
into the x-y plane by 90 degrees pulse, the system is
said to be saturated.
• Application of a second 90 degrees pulse during
saturation will elicit no signal
• After T1 recovery, the system is partially saturated.
• With complete T1 recovery, to the plateau value, the
system is said to be unsaturated or fully
• If the magnetization is partially flipped into the x-y
plane, there is still a component of magnetization
along the z-axis. At this point, spins are in the state
of partial saturation
PARTIAL SATURATION PULSE SEQUENCE
• Starts with 90 degrees RF pulse, short period TR
and followed by application of another 90 degrees
pulse.
• This sequence is repeated
• Measurements are obtained immediately after the 90
degrees RF pulse
• Signals received are in FID

Scan Parameters
• Secondary parameters are used to describe
images
1. S/N ratio (SNR)
2. Scan time
3. Coverage
4. Resolution
5. Image Contrast

• The longitudinal magnetization vector before the 2nd

90 degrees RF pulse is less than the original
longitudinal magnetization vector
• A third 90 degrees RF pulse will again flip the
longitudinal magnetization into x-y plane
JUSAY, JERICK G.
• Again, the longitudinal magnetization goes down to
zero and immediately begins to recover
• Time 2TR is less than maximum but equal to the
previous longitudinal magnetization at time TR)
• Each subsequent recovery time TR after each
subsequent 90 degrees pulse will also be the same
• The maximum FID occurs at time t=0 after the first
90 degrees RF pulse
• All subsequent FIDs will have less magnitude but will
have the same value
• At time t=TR, longitudinal magnetization grows but
does not totally recover its plateau before flipped
back to x-y plane at time TR just before the next 90
degrees RF pulse, there are NO residual transverse
magnetization Mxy.
• T1 is several times larger than T2, after a time TR is
elapsed, the magnetization in the x-y plane has fully
decayed
• In partial saturation, TE is minimal and TR is short
• The signal is measured immediately after the 90
degrees RF pulse
• Images are T1 weighted with short TR and minimal
TE
• Therefore, a partial saturation pulse sequence
generates T1 weighted images
• It is called partial saturation pulse sequence
because at the time of second 90 degrees RF pulse,
there is no complete recovery of longitudinal
magnetization
Saturation Recovery Pulse Sequence
• In saturation recovery, all the longitudinal
magnetization is ideally recovered before a second
90 degrees RF pulse is applied
• The complete recovery will result to longer TR
• In saturation recovery, TR is long and TE is minimal
• Images in saturation recovery pulse sequence will
generate Proton Density Weighted (PDW) images.
• TR is long and TE is minimal
• After each 90 degrees RF pulse, signals in FID are
measured immediately
• FID gives the maximum signal each time, due to the
complete recovery of longitudinal magnetization
before the next 90 degrees pulse
Saturation and Saturation Recovery Pulse
Sequences
• They are not really used anymore, but are helpful to
learn about the more complex pulse sequences
• They are not utilized anymore because
measurement of FID is difficult without a delay
period
Inversion Recovery Pulse Sequence
• First, a 180 degrees RF pulse is applied
• After the inversion time TI, a 90 degrees RF pulse is
applied
• After a period of time TR (from the initial 180 pulse),
another 180 degrees RF pulse is applied, beginning
a new sequence
• Before 180 degrees RF pulse is applied,
magnetization vector points along the z-axis
• After the 180 degrees RF pulse, the magnetization
vector is flipped 180 degrees pointing at opposite
direction
• The magnetization vector recovers along a T1
growth curve
• As it recovers, the magnetization vector gets smaller
and smaller in the -z direction until it reaches zero
• The magnetization vector then grows song the +z
direction and recovers to the original longitudinal
magnetization
• After TI, 90 degrees RF pulse is applied, this flips
the longitudinal magnetization into the x-y plane
• The amount of magnetization flipped into the x-y
plane will depend on the amount of longitudinal
JUSAY, JERICK G.
magnetization that has recovered during TI after the
original 180 degrees RF pulse
• At that point, an FID proportional to the longitudinal
magnetization flipped into x-y plane is obtained
• Longitudinal magnetization is regained
Null Point
• A point at which the signal crosses the zero line
• At this point, the signal intensity is zero
Fat Suppression: STIR Imaging
• STIR- Short TI Inversion Recovery
• At null point for fat, it starts and remains at zero
• There will be no transverse magnetization from fat in
the x-y plane
• In effect, we have a suppressed fat signal.
• Therefore, after 180 degrees inverting time, there is
a TI= 0.693 T1 (fat) then 90 degrees pulse is given
• The term STIR is called short TI inversion recovery
because fat has a very short T1
• Therefore, a very short TI must be chosen to null the
very short T1.
Fluid-Attenuated inversion Recovery (FLAIR)
• An Inversion Recovery technique that nulls fluid
• Used in the brain to suppress CSF and delineate
periventricular hyperintense lesions such as
multisclerosis (MS) plaques
Fast FLAIR
• A STIR sequences are typically performed with fast
spin-echo (FSE) technique
• A pulsed external RF will flip the magnetization
vector 90 degrees into the x-y plane (Mxy)
Spin-echo pulse
Dephasing is caused by:
1. External magnetic field inhomogeneity
2. Inherent spin-spin interactions
• SE pulse sequence eliminates the external magnetic
field inhomogeneity by an additional refocusing or
rephasing 180 degrees RF pulse
• SE pulse sequence can eliminate dephasing caused
by external magnetic field inhomogeneity
• Spin-spin interaction cannot be eliminated because
they are not fixed, thus they fluctuate randomly
Spin-echo pulse
• Due to 90 degrees RF pulse, the magnetization
vector Mz is flipped into the x-y plane.
• For an instance, each of 3 different magnetization
vectors in the same transverse plane will have
different magnetic environment
• Initially all vectors are in phase at uniform Larmor
Frequency (Wo)
• If one group of spin is exposed to Bo will be at Wo
• An adjacent group of spins will sense a higher Bo+
and will precess at higher Wo+ and another will
sense a slightly lower Bo- and precess at slightly
lower Wo-
• After a 90 degrees RF pulse, 3 spins will get out of
phase
• Eventually, the fast vector and the slow vector
become 180 degrees out of phase and cancel each
other out
• After a certain 90 degrees Rf pulse, spins will get out
of phase. A 180 degrees rephasing RF pulse is
applied
JUSAY, JERICK G.

• All the spins will be flipped 180 degrees in the x-y For PD weighting, T1 and T2 effects are eliminated
plane and will continue to precess in opposite a. Long TR
direction. b. Short TE
• Initially, a 90 degrees RF pulse will be applied and
will flip the spins into the x-y plane
• After a period of time a 180 degrees RF pulse will be
applied
• After a long time, t=TR the process will be repeated
• After 90 degrees RF pulse, FID dephases very
rapidly due to T2* effect related to external magnetic
field inhomogeneity and spin-spin interaction. The
spin gets out of phase
• At time T, 180 degrees refocusing Rf pulse is
applied and spins will be in phase again at maximum
signal

1. The time T is the time from 90 degrees RF pulse to

the 180 degrees RF pulse
2. Time T is also the time from the 180 RF pulse to the
point of maximum rephasing ECHO
3. 2T the echo delay time (time to echo) - TE is the
time after the 90 degrees pulse in which the signal is
at maximum again
4. 180 RF pulse is called the refocusing or rephasing
pulse

• A second 180-degree RF pulse is also applied

• That makes two (2) 180 degrees RF pulses in
sequences after 90 degrees pulse
• After the first echo, the spins will begin to dephase
again
• A second 180 RF pulse will be applied after the time
T2 after the first echo and a second echo is obtained
• Each echo has its own TE

1. The time from the 90 degrees RF pulse to the first

echo is TE
2. The time from the 90 degrees RF pulse to the
second echo is TE2

• The 180 degrees RF pulse inverts the longitudinal

magnetization.
• At time TE/2 (on the order of 10 msec), the
recovered longitudinal magnetization is negligible
and its inversion does not cause any significant
signal loss.

For T1 weighting, T2 effect is eliminated

a. Short TE
b. Short TR

For T2 weighting, T1 effect is eliminated

a. Long TR
b. Long TE