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unit 5 MRI

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13 views

unit 5 MRI

Uploaded by

rosechicuarimba333
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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UNIT 5

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MRI


OBJECTIVES:

 Explain the basic principles of MRI.


 Describe the evolution of MRI.
• Identify and describe the function of the
components of a MRI.
Basic principles of MRI
• Human body consists of more than 85% water
• This consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H20).
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses radiofrequency (RF) signals
from the hydrogen protrons in the body to form images of body
structures
• Does not use x-rays or any other form of ionizing radiation
• The magnetic resonance magnet provides a magnetic field to align the
protons
• This magnetic field is called the external or main magnetic field to
distinguish it from local magnetic fields in the vicinity of the protons
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• The strength of the main magnetic field is given symbol B 0
• The protons in body tissues are aligned in the magnetic field and then
moved out of alignment by the RF pulses
• Moving protons out of alignment is termed resonance-or the flipping of
protons out of alignment
• The frequency of the RF pulses is selected to resonate with the
protons in the body
• Only protons with the correct resonate frequency are moved out of
alignment with the external magnetic field
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• As the out of alignment protons move back into alignment, they
produce an RF signal which is used to construct the MR image

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Proton alignment

• Hydrogen:
• most abundant element in the body
• Hydrogen nuclei /protons constantly spinning on axis of rotation
• Spinning causes proton to act as tiny magnets- called magnetic
moment
• In a magnetic field protons lined up in the direction of the magnetic
field- like a compass- with earths magnetic field

•
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Why use MRI
Advantages
• The advantages of MRI include:
• the ability to image without the use of ionising x-rays, in
contradistinction to CT scanning
• images may be acquired in multiple planes (axial, sagittal, coronal, or
oblique) without repositioning the patient. CT images have only
relatively recently been able to be reconstructed in multiple planes with
the same spatial resolution

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• MRI images demonstrate superior soft tissue contrast than CT scans
and plain films making it the ideal examination of the brain, spine,
joints and other soft tissue body parts
• some angiographic images can be obtained without the use of contrast
material, unlike CT or conventional angiography
• advanced techniques such as diffusion, spectroscopy and perfusion
allow for precise tissue characterisation rather than merely
'macroscopic' imaging
• functional MRI allows visualisation of both active parts of the brain
during certain activities and understanding of the underlying networks

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Disadvantages
• There are many disadvantages and challenges to implementing MRI
scanning.
• MRI scans are more expensive than CT scans and take longer to
acquire so patient comfort is sometimes an issue. Additionally, images
are subject to unique artefacts that must be recognised and abated
(see MRI artefacts).
• MRI scanning is not safe for patients with some metal implants and
foreign bodies. Careful attention to safety measures is necessary to
avoid serious injury to patients and staff, and this requires special MRI
compatible equipment and stringent adherence to safety protocols
(see MRI safety)
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MRI artifacts

• MRI artifacts are numerous and give an insight into the physics
behind each sequence. Some artifacts affect the quality of the MRI
exam while others do not affect the diagnostic quality but may be
confused with pathology.
• When encountering an unfamiliar artifact, it is useful to systematically
examine general features of the artifact to try and understand its
general class.

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• These features include:
1.type of sequence, e.g. fast spin echo, gradient, volumetric acquisition
2.direction of phase and frequency
3.fat or fluid attenuation
4.presence of anatomy outside the image field
5.presence of metallic foreign bodies
• Classification of the artifact type may give one an idea about how to try
to fix it.
• The artifacts
• Many artifacts have a characteristic appearance and with experience
they can be readily identified. 11
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