MRI Physics

Omar Moawayh Faculty of medicine Cairo University

1- Resonance

2- Spinning
N K Na H P H H C H H H H H O H

Nuclei spin about their axes acting like tiny magnets

3- Target
Water represents 60 % of the human body

H2O
H H O

MR images depend on movement of hydrogen protons in response to applied radiofrequency

Radio frequency coil
O O O O H H H H H H H H

Hydrogen Atom [proton]

Na

Frequency

Basic constituent of MR Magnet Radio frequency coil

H H H H H H H H

Refocusing pulse

90

180

surrounding = Longitudinal relaxation time = spin to lattice

T1

Loss of energy to

T2

Loss of

energy to adjacent nuclei = Transverse relaxation time = spin to spin

Spin echo

Spin echo

TE

Spin echo

TR

Sequence time
Sequence time seconds- minutes
1 TR 4000 m sec TE m sec The acquisition time = 4000m sec TR X 60= 240000 1000 60 = 4 minutes 60

Number of signal averaging

T1
TR 600 m sec

TR 600 m sec X 30 = 18000 1000 60 = 0. 3m

TE 30 m sec

T2
TR 3000 m sec

TR 3000 m sec X 100 = 300000 1000 60 = 5m

TE 80-100 m sec

Bright

Dark

PD

PD
TR 3000 m sec

TR 3000 m sec X 100 = 300000 1000 60 = 5m

TE 30 m sec

No T1 No T2

Heavy T2
TR 3000 m sec

TR 3000 m sec X 100 = 300000 1000 60 = 5m

TE 120 m sec

Increasing the TE of a sequence weights it more heavily toward T2 So it is sensitive for water , cyst and haemangioma

Fast spin echo

Echo train length

Acquisition time for T2 SE 7 m 17s

FSE echo train length of 16 was 34 s

Signal intensity of fat is greater than that of conventional images obtained with comparable parameters Magnetic susceptibility difference artifacts are lessened

Inversion recovary IR

IT

Inversion recovary IR
Choice of TE also determines amount of T2

IT

IT

TE 30 msec

TE 100 120 msec

IR

FLAIR
Fat

H2O

Sufficient time to suppress water TR 10000 msec IT 1700 2200 msec

TE 100 120 msec

Sufficient time to suppress fat

STIR

H2O

Fat

TR 5000 msec TI 150 msec

TE 30 msec

Slice selection

slice

phase

Read out

Phase

Gradient

Gradient

Gradient
T2TR 200m sec-TE 10 msec- Flip angle 30

T2 Flip angle T1
T1TR 75 m sec-TE 6 msec- Flip angle 70

In T2* signal decay, the transverse magnetization is dephased because of magnetic field in homogeneities. The magnetic field is not exactly the same everywhere; in some places it is a bit stronger (B0 + ) for example, 1.505 T and in others it is a bit weaker (B0 ) for example, 1.495 T. Such differences may occur because of the presence of metallic objects, air, dental implants, or calcium, or they may be due to the limitations of magnet construction

T2* Signal decay

Blooming

Iron

Blooming

Because gradients do not refocus field inhomogeneities, GRE sequences with long TEs are T2* weighted (because of magnetic susceptibility) rather than T2 weighted like SE sequences. sequences

Steady-state sequences are a class of rapid magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques based on fast gradient-echo acquisitions in which both longitudinal magnetization (LM) and transverse magnetization (TM) are kept constant. Both LM and TM reach a nonzero steady state through the use of a repetition time that is shorter than the T2 relaxation time of tissue. When TM is maintained as multiple radiofrequency excitation pulses are applied, two types of signal are formed once steady state is reached: preexcitation signal (S ) from echo reformation; and postexcitation signal (S+), which consists of free induction decay.

Depending on the signal sampled and used to form an image, steady-state sequences can be classified as (a) postexcitation refocused (only S+ is sampled), (b) preexcitation refocused (only S is sampled), and (c) fully refocused (both S+ and S are sampled) sequences. All tissues with a reasonably long T2 relaxation time will show additional signals due to various refocused echo paths. Steady-state sequences have revolutionized cardiac imaging and have become the standard for anatomic functional cardiac imaging and for the assessment of myocardial viability because of their good signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio and increased speed of acquisition. They are also useful in abdominal and fetal imaging and hold promise for interventional MR imaging. Because steady-state sequences are now commonly used in MR imaging, radiologists will benefit from understanding the underlying physics, classification, and clinical applications of these sequences

Steady-state free precession TR is usually shorter than the T and (SSFP) T of the tissues imaged
1 2

1- Coherent completely or partially refocused (rewound) GRE sequences A gradient (called a rewind gradient) to rephase the T2* magnetization while it is being dephased and thereby preserve the T2* effects 2-Spoiled GRE sequences A gradient has same effect as T1 or proton-density weighting

TE

1-Coherent completely or partially refocused (rewound) GRE sequences A gradient to rephase T2* magnetization while it is being dephased and thereby preserve the T2* effects
TR4 6 msec- TE 1 2 msec;- flip angle 30

Complete

T2

T1

T1 & T2

preexcitation

Partial

postexcitation

2-Spoiled GRE sequences spoiler RF pulse or gradient is used to eradicate any remaining transverse magnetization after each echo producing same effect as T1 or PD
TR4 6 msec- TE 1 2 msec;- flip angle 70

2-Spoiled GRE sequences spoiler RF pulse or gradient is used to eradicate any remaining transverse magnetization after each echo producing same effect as T1 or PD
TR4 6 msec- TE 1 2 msec;- flip angle 70

Fat suppresion 1-Opposed Phase

Fat suppresion 1-Opposed Phase TE = 6.4 msec. In-Phase

TE = 3.2 msec. Out-Phase

Fat suppresion 5 2 3

2-Fat Saturation

- ve

Fat suppresion 3-Short time inversion recovery

STIR

Adequately Mobile
HIGH

H
SIGNAL

BRIGHT, HYPERINTENSE

INTERMEDIATE

GRAY, ISOINTENSE

LOW

DARK, HYPOINTENSE

Not Adequately

Mobile

The image will depend on

H
Amount
Minimal hydrogen [air] no signal

Motion
Non mobile hydrogen [cortical bone] no signal Fast hydrogen [flowing blood] no signal

Non mobile hydrogen

Cortical bone Mature fibrous tissue Calcifications

Minimal hydrogen

AIR
Lung & Sinuses

Each structure [lesion] in the human body has a characteristic signal

T1

Subacute blood

T2

Each structure [lesion] in the human body has a characteristic signal

T1

Fluid

T2

T1

Fat

T2

Signal Void

Black

How to know the pulse sequence?!

T1/ PD

T2

Gradient

STIR

Diffusion DWIs
Depends on Brownian movement

PULSE SEQUENCES FOR DIFFUSIONWEIGHTED IMAGING

T2 spin-echo pulse sequence

Echoplanar Imaging(EPI)

DIFFUSION WEIGHTED IMAGING USING SPINECHO T2-WEIGHTED PULSE SEQUENCE

Spin-echo T2-weighted pulse sequence with two extra gradient pulses that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction
TR 5100 m sec TE 137 m sec - total acquisition time 20 s

Spin echo T2

Gradient pulses

ISOTROPIC AND ANISOTROPIC DIFFUSION

In isotropic diffusion no

preferred direction of water motion In anisotropic diffusion ,in the white matter, consisting of dense fiber bundles, water moves more easily parallel to the fibers than across them.

The signal intensity decreases when the white matter tracts run in the same direction as DW gradients

Direction of DW gradient

Hypointense white matter tract

Splenium

Frontal and occipital

Corticospinal tract

CREATION OF ISOTROPIC DW IMAGE

Multiply the three images created with the DW gradient pulses applied in three orthogonal directions (Gx, Gy,and Gz). The cube root of this product is the DW image

Diffusion Tensor Imaging

diffusion is orientation-dependant being affected by these barriers and by the nerve fiber orientation. Example: water molecules moving perpendicular to the axons in the white matter would be slowed by crossing more cell membranes than water moving in a direction parallel to an axon. the degree of anisotropy in the WM is larger than that in the GM.

Vessels

Vessels

Signal to noise ratio

Signal to noise ratio

To increase the SNR

NEX TR FOV Slice Thickness Slice Gap Phase Encoding steps Frequency Encoding steps Band Width TE

To increase the Spatial Resolution

Frequency Encoding steps Phase Encoding steps

FOV Slice Thickness

K-space

K space

MR Angiography MRA

MRA

TOF Phase contrast

No signals

TOF

45

+10

-10

-10

+10

Arterial Spin Labeling = ASL

Arterial Spin Labeling = ASL

BBB is highly permeative to water The unidirectional clearance of water can be used as a measure of CBF. Proposed by Detre et al

(Magn Reson CONTINUOUS PULSED labeling Med. labeling Jan;23(1):37-45) 1992

CASL PASL

CONTINUOUS labeling

CASL
Imaging plane Labeling plane

RF inversion pulse spins inverted The labeled spins (water protons) flowing into the imaging plane and exchanging with tissue protons, cause signal loss measuring signal changes between tagged images and baseline untagged images CBF images (qualitative / quantitative)

spin s

PULSED labeling

PASL

E cho P lanar I maging and S ignal T argeting by A lternating R adioequency

Imaging plane Labeling plane

F low-sensitive A lternating I nversion R ecovery

spin s

spin s

Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Bold

Magnetic susceptibility is also used in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) imaging T2* The relative amount of deoxyhemoglobin in the cerebral vasculature is measured as a reflection of neuronal activity BOLD MR imaging is widely used for mapping of

Brain function

Bases of the BOLD effect

Commercial pulse sequences

slice

phase

Read out

slice

phase

FLASH

Read out

slice

phase

GRASS /FISP

Read out

slice phase Read out

Contrast

Contrast

Short T1

Contrast

Short T1

Gd DTPA

Short T1

Gd DTPA

Magnatization Transvere

Magnatization transvere

After 1m

After 2 m

After 3 m

MR spectroscopy

MR spectroscopy

What is MRS ?
MRS is a non-invasive method which can provide in vivo data on human bio-chemistry & pathophysiology. Thus it is a non-invasive probing of the Underlying biochemistry of cells MRS is a new MR technique that can help to dd between benign and malignant bony and soft tissue tumor, also plays an important role in diagnosis of bone infection and metabolic disorders.

H2O+ C H2O+ Na

What are the types of Spectroscopy ?

H-MRS

Limitations
FALSE POSITIVE PEAKS Benign lesions with high cellular concentration Inflammatory lesion with excessive inflammatory cells FALSE NEGATIVE STUDY Malignant lesions of low cell population will give low choline levels

10

10

180 Phase

Phase

Artifacts

Wrap around

90

-90

Chemical shift artifacts

After 2 min = augmentation

After 1 min cancellation

10

1000

Asymmetric brightness

Inhomogeneous brightness

Zero line artifact

Truncation artifacts- Gibbs phenomenon

Metal artifacts

Iron

Blooming artifact

Field inhomogenity

Zebra stripe artifact

Cross talk

Entrance/Exit slice phenomenon

Flow compansation

Flow compansation

Stationary

Moving

Flow compensation

Presaturation
Spatial presaturation Antiphase aliening phase encoding Antifrequency aliening out direction Flow suppression Sat Leading slice Following slice Suppress wrapped artifacts in wrapped artifact in the read blood flow and CSF flow

Moving Sat Moving Sat

Antifrequency

Antiphase

Flow saturation

Antifrequency

Antiphase

Skipping presaturation

Quadiscan

Gradient

50 0

100

100 50 0

Thank you