Module 3
Module 3
Signal Formation
! The subject is placed into the MR scanner.
! Nuclei of 1H atoms align with the magnetic field. ! The nuclei precess about the field at similar frequencies, but at a random phase. ! Net longitudinal magnetization in the direction of field.
Signal Formation
! After the RF pulse is removed, the system seeks to return to equilibrium.
! The transverse magnetization disappears (transversal relaxation), and the longitudinal magnetization grows back to its original size (longitudinal relaxation). ! Longitudinal relaxation: exponential growth described by time constant T1. ! Transverse relaxation: exponential decay described by time constant T2.
! During this process a signal is created that can be measured using a receiver coil.
Slice Selection
! Most structural MRI and fMRI scans involve the construction of a three dimensional image from a set of two-dimensional slices.
Image Formation
! Imagine a brain slice split into a number of equally sized volume elements or voxels.
!(x,y)
Image Formation
! Imagine a brain slice split into a number of equally sized volume elements or voxels.
!(x,y)
Gradients
! The measured signal combines information from the whole brain:
S (t ) =
!! " ( x, y)dxdy
! A magnetic field gradient is used to sequentially control the spatial inhomogeneity of the magnetic field, so each measurement can be expressed:
S (k x , k y ) =
!! $ ( x, y)e
"i 2# ( k x x + k y y )
dxdy
K-space
! The measurements are acquired in the frequency-domain (k-space). ! By making measurements for multiple values of (kx, ky) we can gain enough information to solve the inverse problem and reconstruct !(x, y). ! We can use the inverse Fourier transform (IFT):
# ( x, y) = !! S (k x , k y )e
i 2" ( k x x + k y y )
dk x dk y
K-space Measurements
! In practice, data measurements are made discretely over a finite region.
! Use discrete Fourier transforms.
! The number of k-space measurements we make influences the spatial resolution of the image.
! Need enough measurements to solve inverse problem.
16 unknowns
4 unknowns
ky
kx
kx
Magnitude Images
! The measured k-space data is complex valued. ! We typically work with magnitude images, or
! ( x ) = ! R ( x )2 + ! I ( x )2
where !R and !I are the real and imaginary parts of the k-space measurement.
Image Formation
k-space ky kx IFT FT Image space y x
End of Module
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