Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

U.S. Patent Number: 5378986

Abstract: Where an imaging volume of an object under examination is comprised of eight slices with four regions "a", "b", "c", and "d" per slice (on the k space), the RF pulse frequency, the slice-selection gradient magnetic field, and the phase-encoding gradient magnetic field are controlled so as to first acquire data for a region "a" of each of the slices #1 to #8 in sequence and then acquire data for the slices #1 to #8 for each of the regions "b" to "d" in sequence. The data with 4 rows and 8 columns thus obtained for each of the regions of the slices is rearranged into data with 8 rows and 4 columns arranged for each of the slices. Data in each row are subjected to two-dimensional Fourier transformation, so that an MR image corresponding to each slice is reconstructed. This permits the RF pulse repetition time TR to be made long even if a time interval between successive data acquisition is made short. Thus, a multi-slice divisional-scanning type magnetic resonance imaging apparatus can be realized, which permits T2 contrast images with high signal-to-noise ratio to be obtained in a short time.

Inventors: Seo; Yasutsugu (Tokyo, JP), Kondo; Masafumi (Ootawara, JP)

Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Kawasaki, JP)

Application Number: 07/937,542

Issued: 1995-01-03

Expired: 2007-01-03

Classes: 324/309 ; 324/307

Field of search: 324/300,307,309,310,311,312,314

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