Outline

Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance

Imaging
- Hardware and Principle

Timeline of MR Imaging
1972 Damadian
patents idea for large
NMR scanner to detect
malignant tissue.

1924 - Pauli suggests

that nuclear particles
may have angular
momentum (spin).

1930

1940

1950

1946 Purcell shows that

matter absorbs energy at a
resonant frequency.

1960

1970

1946 Bloch demonstrates

that nuclear precession can be
measured in detector coils.

MR Imaging Hardware System

Principle of MRI

1952: Felix Bloch and Edward Mills Purcell (Physics)

MRI scanners become

clinically prevalent.

1980

1973 Mansfield
independently
1959 Singer
publishes gradient
measures blood flow approach to MR.
using NMR (in mice).

1944: Rabi (Physics)

resonance method for recording magnetic properties of atomic nuclei

Basic science of NMR phenomenon

NMR renamed MRI

1920

History of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Nobel Prizes for Magnetic Resonance

1985 Insurance
reimbursements for
MRI exams begin.

1973 Lauterbur
publishes method for
generating images
using NMR gradients.

1937 Rabi measures

magnetic moment of
nucleus. Coins
magnetic resonance.

1990

2000

1990 Ogawa and

colleagues create
functional images using
endogenous, bloodoxygenation contrast.

1975 Ernst develops

2D-Fourier transform for
MR.

Source: http://www.fonar.com/timelineofmri.htm

1991: Richard Ernst

Chemistry (High-resolution pulsed FT-NMR)
2002: Kurt Wthrich
Chemistry (3D molecular structure in solution by NMR)
2003: Paul Lauterbur & Peter Mansfield
Physiology or Medicine (MRI technology)

Instrumentation (1)

Instrumentation (2)

Modern 3 Tesla
MRI unit (Philips)
Bore of the magnet

RF Coil (for head)

Magnet

Gradient Coil

RF Coil

Main magnet
body

Patient Couch
Source: Joe Gati, photos

Main Components of a Scanner

Static Magnet (1)

Permanent Magnet
open
C-Shape
Standing MRI
Advantage:
-Simple
-Comfortable
-Inexpensive
-No need to use liquid Helium
-Low maintenance cost
Disadvantage:
-Low field strength (normally <0.7T)
-Field inhomogeneity
-Sensitive to temperature change

Static Magnet (2)

Superconductive Magnet
closed
cylindrical

Advantage:

Magnetic Field Strength

Start

Measured by Tesla (T) vs Gauss (G)

1T = 10,000G
Earths magnetic field ~ 0.3~0.7G
Clinical MRI typically between 0.7T and 3.0T. It is very strong!

-High-field (normally >1.5T)

High field MRI

5A

-High stability
-High homogeneity
-Cost low
Disadvantage:

1cm

-Expensive

1 Guass

-Helium needed

Advantage:

Disadvantage:

1) High SNR

1) High cost

2) Short acquisition time 2) High noise

3) Enable advanced MR 3) High SAR
imaging, such as
4) High artefact
MRS, BOLD etc

-High maintenance cost

Gradient Magnets

RF Coils

"antenna" of the MRI system

broadcasts the RF signal
and/or

Provides the best RF homogeneity

Commonly used as a transceiver coil
e.g., head, knee

receives the return signal

Commonly for the knee

Better homogeneity
Volume coil

two parallel circular coils

pelvis imaging and cervical
spine imaging

loop of wire

depth of the image generally limited to about one radius

for spines, shoulders, small body parts

Spin

About Atom: A Review

To differentiate
atoms
Same atom
number but
different atom
weight are
different isotopes

Atom = nucleus + electrons

Nucleus = neutrons + protons
Atom number = # protons
Atom weight = #neutrons + # protons

Protons (nuclear constituent of atom) have a property of angular

momentum known as spin
Motion of electrically charged particles results in a magnetic force
orthogonal to the direction of motion
The spin value depends on the atomic number and atomic weight of the
particular nucleus.

Why 1H?

Protons Aligning within a Magnetic Field

In field free space

Inside magnetic field

Reasons for choosing 1H:

1)1H occupies the largest proportion

- 3*1022/ml in water
1) Gyromagnetic ratio is much larger than others, and thus the magnetic
resonance signal is the largest
3) Different forms in biological organ
- water

randomly oriented

- fat

So by default, MRI is

1H

imaging!

oriented with or against B0

M = net magnetization

when placed in a magnetic field (B0; e.g., our MRI machines) protons will either align
with the magnetic field
there is a small difference in the number of protons in the low and high energy
states with more in the low state leading to a net magnetization (M)

Source: Mark Cohens web slides

Source: Robert Coxs web slides

Source: Jody Culhams web slides

Precession

The Nobel Prize in Physics 1944

For resonance method for recording the magnetic
properties of atomic nuclei

Protons precess in external magnetic field. The precessional axis is

parallel to the external magnetic field.

Isidor Isaac Rabi

(1898-1988)
Austrian

Rabi predicted that the magnetic moments of nuclei

could be induced to flip their magnetic orientation if
they absorbed energy from an electromagnetic wave
of the right frequency. They would also emit this
same amount of energy in falling back to the lower
energy orientation, and Rabi would be able to detect
this transition from one energy state to the other. He
called this method molecular beam magnetic
resonance.

Source: Mark A. Brown, Richard C. Semelka

Larmor Equation

Frequency (rate) of precession is proportional to the strength of

magnetic field

Resonance
frequency (MHz)

Magnetic field (T)

: Gyromagnetic ratio
Unit of /2 : MHz/T

Larmor frequency slightly depends on the molecular structure the

protons 1H belong to. Fat molecules are large and surrounded by many
electrons, which reduce the effective external field. This way the Larmor
frequency of fat is roughly 150 Hz lower at 1 T (220 Hz at 1.5 T) than that
of water.

Gyromagnetic Ratio

Net Macroscopic Magnetization (no B0)

Question
Question
For the following scanners,
What is the resonance frequency of the following nuclei in
each of the magnetic fields?
1H
GE 0.7 Tesla
Phillips 3.0 Tesla
SIEMENS 7.0 Tesla
23Na
low field MRI
Clinical MRI
High field MRI
31P

/2
(MHz/T)
1H

42.57

23Na

11.26

31P

17.23

Bo = 0.7T

Bo = 3.0T

when an external magnetic field is absence

= (0,0,0)

Bo = 7T

Net Macroscopic Magnetization (with B0)

Zeeman Effect
The phenomenon of quantized energy states in the presence of an
external magnetic field is known as the Zeeman effect
The energy difference (E) between the two levels is exactly
proportional to the frequency v and thus the magnetic field B0:

low energy state (spin up)

high energy state (spin down)

h (Planck's constant)
= 6.626 10-34 Js

Net Macroscopic Magnetization (with RF)

Effect of a 90o Pulse Excitation

Before:
1) # low-energy protons are slightly more than # high energy protons
2) No net magnetization in the transverse plane -- the phase of transverse components
are random
After:
1) half of the different protons with low energy reversed their energy state
no net
macroscopic longitudinal magnetization
2) The phase of the transverse component are consistent

Coordinate System

Flip Angle

Absorption of the RF energy of frequency causes M0 to

rotate away from its equilibrium orientation by an angle

Bo

Break

Types of Relaxation

After break

When the RF is turned off, the return to equilibrium is

called relaxation
The protons immediately begin to realign themselves and
return to their original equilibrium orientation

Longitudinal relaxation precessing protons are pulled back into

alignment with main magnetic field of the scanner (Bo) reducing
size of the magnetic moment vector in the x-y plane

Transverse relaxation precessing protons become out of phase

leading to a drop in the net magnetic moment vector (Mo)

Longitudinal Relaxation
T1 decay describes the longitudinal magnetization returns to equilibrium.
Mz(t) = Mo(1 - e-t/T1).
T1 = time required for Mz to recover 63% of its original value

Transverse relaxation occurs much faster than

longitudinal relaxation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0dl4_wxr1c&list=PLCD41685D8499AAB1

Transverse Relaxation

Summary of Relaxation

T2 decay describes the return to equilibrium of the transverse magnetization, MXY

Mxy(t) = Mxyoe-t/T2
T2 = time required for 63% of the initial magnetization (Mxy) to dissipate

Energy emission

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-Dg5jmV-8&list=PLCD41685D8499AAB1

MR signal

T2 Weighted Imaging

For T2: A > B

Tissue A
Mxy

Tissue A
Mxy

Tissue B
Mxy

Tissue B
Mxy

Signal
Tissue A

MR signal
Tissue A
Tissue A
Mz

Tissue B
Mxy

Tissue A
Mxy

Tissue B
Mz

1. For Tissue A and B

PD are the same

Mz are the same

when 900 RF pulse is
on, Mz changed to 0

MR signal
Tissue B

2. When 900 RF pulse

is on, for Mxy, A = B

Signal
Tissue B

3. After some time, for 4. The MR signal: A > B

Mxy, A > B

PD=proton density

T1 Weighted Imaging

The Nobel Prize in Physics 1952

for their development of new methods for nuclear magnetic precision
measurements and discoveries in connection therewith
- Scientific principle of MRI

Given T1: A > B

Tissue A
Mxy

Tissue A
Mz

Tissue B
Mz

1. For Tissue A and B

PD are the same

Mz are the same

when 900 RF pulse is
on, Mz changed to 0

Tissue A
Mz

Tissue B
Mz

2. When 900 RF pulse

is off, Mz gradually
recovered.
For Mz, A > B

Tissue B
Mxy

Signal
Tissue A

Signal
Tissue B

3. Apply another 900 RF pulse

Mz gradually recovered.
4. MR signal: A > B
For Mxy, A > B

Felix Bloch
Switzerland
- determine the time evolution
of nuclear magnetization

Edward Mills Purcell

U.S.A
- relaxation phenomena
- related problems of molecular structure
- measurement of atomic constants,
- nuclear magnetic behaviour at low
temperatures

Summary
For samples in external magnetic field, the
sample is exposed to energy at the correct
frequency that will be absorbed.
A short time later, this energy is reemitted,
which can be detected and processed.
A brief summary video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CGzknV06g