Magnetic resonance imaging for a plurality of selective regions set to object continuously moved

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising:

exciting means for magnetically exciting a plurality of regions of an object using a multi-slice MRI process, the plurality of regions being located within a predetermined imaging range provided by the magnetic resonance imaging system and a first region being excited at intervals a plurality of times while in the predetermined imaging range such that at least one other region is also excited during a period between said intervals, wherein the exciting means includes position-moving means for moving spatial positions of the plurality of exciting regions synchronously with movement of the object;

acquiring means for acquiring MRI multi-slice echo data from the plurality of excited regions of the object while the object is continuously moved; and

processing means for producing image data from the echo data acquired by the acquiring means;

wherein the plurality of regions include multi-slices of the object;

wherein a slice-selective axis direction of the multi-slices used in the multi-slice imaging process corresponds to a moving direction of the object, and

wherein the exciting means includes means for adding another slice to a tail of the multi-slices as a slice belonging to the plurality of multi-slices in the moving direction in cases when a head slice of the multi-slices in the moving direction goes beyond the imaging range.

2. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 1 , wherein the imaging range is spatially fixed and provided by the magnetic resonance imaging system.

3. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 1 , including a couch with a tabletop on which the object is laid, the couch having a mechanism for moving the tabletop in a longitudinal direction of the tabletop.

4. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 1 , wherein the position-moving means is configured to change slice by slice a carrier frequency of a selective-excitation RF pulse to be applied to the multi-slices.

5. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 1 , wherein the exciting means includes means for selectively exciting in sequence the plurality of regions by using a preparation pulse whose position applied to the object is moved in response to the movement of the plurality of regions.

6. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 1 , wherein the exciting means includes means for selectively exciting in sequence the plurality of regions by use of a pulse sequence having a gradient pulse to be applied in the moving direction of the object, in which a phase compensation pulse for nulling a gradient moment of a first or second order is added to at least part of the gradient pulse.

7. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 1 , wherein the exciting means includes means for selectively exciting in sequence the plurality of regions by use of a pulse sequence, formed based on a fast spin echo technique, including a gradient that meets, at least partly, a VIPS condition.

8. A method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), said method comprising:

moving an object continuously; exciting a plurality of regions of the object using a multi-slice MRI process while the object is moved, the plurality regions being located within a predetermined imaging range and a first region being excited at intervals a plurality of times while in the predetermined imaging range such that at least one other region is also excited during a period between said intervals, wherein spatial positions of the plurality of excited regions are moved synchronously with movement of the object; acquiring echo data from the plurality of excited regions of the object; and producing image data from the echo data;

wherein the plurality of regions include multi-slices of the object;

wherein a slice-selective axis direction of the multi-slices used in the multi-slice imaging process corresponds to the moving direction of the object; and

wherein the step of exciting includes adding another slice to a tail of the multi-slices as a slice belonging to the plurality of multi-slices in the moving direction, in cases where a head slice of the multi-slices in the moving direction goes beyond the imaging range.

9. A magnetic resonance imaging method as in claim 8 , wherein the imaging range is spatially fixed and provided by a magnetic resonance imaging system.

10. A magnetic resonance imaging system (MRI) comprising:

a couch configured to move an object continuously;

a controller configured to excite a plurality of regions of the object using a multi-slice MRI process while the object is moved, the plurality of regions being located within a predetermined imaging range and a first region being excited at intervals a plurality of times while in the predetermined imaging range such that at least one other region is also excited during a period between said intervals wherein spatial positions of the plurality of excited regions are moved synchronously with movement of the object;

a receiver configured to echo data from the plurality of excited regions of the object; and

a reconstruction unit configured to produce image data from the echo data;

wherein the plurality of regions include multi-slices of the object;

wherein a slice-selective axis direction of the multi-slices used in the multi-slice MRI process corresponds to the moving direction of the object; and

wherein the exciting includes adding another slice to a tail of the multi-slices as a slice belonging to the plurality of multi-slices in the moving direction, in cases where a head slice of the multi-slices in the moving direction goes beyond the imaging range.

11. A magnetic resonance imaging system as in claim 10 , wherein the imaging range is spatially fixed and provided by a magnetic resonance imaging system.