MRI in Practice

MRI in Practice continues to be the number one reference book and study guide for MRI instrumentation, principles, pulse sequences, image acquisition and imaging parameters for the registry review examination for MRI offered by the American Registry for Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) in the USA.

This latest edition offers in–depth chapters covering all core areas, including: basic principles; image weighting and contrast; spin echo pulse sequences; gradient echo pulse sequences; spatial encoding; k–space; protocol optimization; artefacts; instrumentation; and MRI safety.

The leading MRI reference book and study guide Now with a greater focus on the physics behind MRI Offers, for the first time, equations and their explanations and scan tips Brand new chapters on MRI equipment, vascular imaging and safety Presented in full color, with additional illustrations and high–quality MRI images to aid understanding Includes refined, updated and expanded content throughout, along with more learning tips and practical applications than previous editions Features a new glossary.

MRI in Practice is an important text for radiographers, technologists, radiology residents, radiologists, and other students and professionals working within imaging, including medical physicists and nurses.  

Preface to the Fifth Edition          

Acknowledgments

List of Acronyms

Equation symbols

About the Companion Website 

Chapter 1 Basic principles          

Introduction      

Atomic structure             

Motion in the atom        

MR active nuclei              

The hydrogen nucleus  

Alignment

Net magnetic vector (NMV)       

Precession and precessional (Larmor) frequency

Precessional phase         

Resonance         

MR signal                            

Pulse timing parameters

Further reading

Chapter 2 Image weighting and contrast              

Introduction      

Image contrast 

Relaxation

T1 recovery

T2 decay

Contrast mechanisms    

Relaxation in different tissues   

T1 contrast        

T2 contrast        

Proton density contrast

Weighting          

Other contrast mechanisms

Further reading

Chapter 3 Spin echo pulse sequences   

Introduction      

RF rephasing

Conventional spin echo

Fast or turbo spin echo FSE/TSE)

Inversion recovery (IR)

Short tau inversion recovery (STIR)

Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)

Further Reading

Chapter 4 Gradient echo pulse sequences

Introduction

Variable flip angle

Gradient rephasing

Weighting in gradient echo pulse sequences

Weighting mechanism 1 extrinsic contrast parameters

Weighting mechanism 2   the steady state

Weighing mechanism 3 residual transverse magnetization

Coherent or rewound gradient echo       

Incoherent or spoiled gradient echo        

Reverse–echo gradient echo       

Balanced gradient echo

Fast gradient echo          

Echo planar imaging (EPI)            

Further reading

Chapter 5 Spatial encoding        

Introduction      

Mechanism of gradients               

Gradient axes

Slice selection   

Frequency encoding      

Phase encoding

Sampling             

Data collection and image formation      

Bringing it all together pulse sequence timing

Further reading

Chapter 6 k–space

Introduction      

Part 1 what is k–space?

Part 2 – how are data acquired and how are images created from this data?

Part 3 some important facts about k–space

Part 4: how do pulse sequences fill k–space?

Part 5: options that fill k–space

Further reading

Chapter 7 Protocol optimization              

Introduction      

Signal to noise ratio (SNR)           

Contrast to noise ratio (CNR)     

Spatial resolution            

Scan time           

Trade–offs          

Protocol development and modification

Further reading

Chapter 8 Artefacts       

Introduction      

Phase mismapping         

Aliasing

Chemical shift artefact  

Out of phase signal cancellation

Magnetic susceptibility artefact

Truncation artefact        

Cross–excitation/cross–talk         

Zipper artefact 

Shading artefact              

Moiré artefact  

Magic angle

Equipment faults             

Flow artefacts

Flow–dependent (non–contrast enhanced) angiography

Black–blood imaging

Phase contrast MRA

Further reading

Chapter 9 Instrumentation

Introduction

Magnetism

Scanner configurations

Magnet system

Magnet shielding

Shim system

Gradient system

RF system

Patient transport system

Computer system and graphic user interface

Further reading

Chapter 10 MRI safety  

Introduction (and disclaimer)

Definitions used in MRI safety

Psychological effects

The spatially–varying static field

Electromagnetic (radiofrequency) fields

Time–Varying Gradient Magnetic Fields

Cryogen safety

Cryogen safety

Additional resources

Further reading

Appendix

Glossary              

Index   

Catherine Westbrook, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Faculty of Medical Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.

John Talbot, Senior Lecturer in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Research Methodology and Medical Education, Faculty of Medical Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.