Yale University

Lick-Kong Tam

Robert Todd Constable

Jason Stockmann

Gigi Galiana

In a method of magnetic resonance imaging, a set of nonlinear, mutually orthogonal magnetic gradient encoding fields are sequentially and separately generated in an imaging region []. Using multiple receiver coils having nonuniform sensitivity profiles, echo data representing signal intensities in the imaging region is sequentially acquired as the magnetic gradient encoding fields are sequentially generated []. A reconstructed image of the imaging region is computed from the acquired echo data [], and the reconstructed image is then be stored and/or displayed on a display monitor [

Accelerated MRI with nonlinear spatial encoding gradients

In MRI by excitation of nuclear spins and measurement of RF signals induced by these spins in the presence of spatially-varying encoding magnetic fields, signal localization is performed through recombination of measurements obtained in parallel by each coil in an encircling array of RF receiver coils. Through the use of magnetic gradient fields that vary both as first-order and second-order Z2 spherical harmonics with position, radially-symmetric magnetic encoding fields are created that are complementary to the spatial variation of the encircling receiver coils. The resultant hybrid encoding functions comprised of spatially-varying coil profiles and gradient fields permits unambiguous localization of signal contributed by spins. Using hybrid encoding functions in which the gradient shapes are thusly tailored to the encircling array of coil profiles, images are acquired in less time than is achievable from a conventional acquisition employing only first-order gradient fields with an encircling coil array.

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New Haven, CT, United States of America

Lick-Kong Tam