Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using ultra short echo times and spiral sampling in K-space

1. A method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) comprising:

applying to a sample, which exhibits long transverse relaxation time (T 2 ) components and short T 2 components, a long inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse that inverts magnetization of the long T 2 components to minimize signals corresponding to the long T 2 components;

applying half RF excitation pulses to the sample to select at least two echo times;

adding one or more compensation gradients between each adjacent echo times of the at least two echo times to minimize gradient error and eddy current effect for data associated with the echo time that succeeds the one or more compensation gradients;

adding a hysteresis gradient between the at least two echo times to generate a consistent rather than sinusoidal K-space offset for each spiral interleaf in the spiral trajectory;

acquiring data corresponding to the selected the at least two echo times using a spiral trajectory; and

obtaining a first echo image based on the acquired data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a second echo image based on the acquired data.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining a difference between the obtained first echo image and the second echo image to obtain imaging information corresponding to the short T 2 components in the sample.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising obtaining one or more additional echo images based on the acquired data.

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

obtaining a first image from a sample including

applying to the sample a slice-selective long duration adiabatic inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse and a first slice-selective magnetic field gradient of a first polarity to invert magnetization of long transverse relaxation time (T 2 ) components in the sample,

after a time delay (T 1 ) sufficient for the magnetization of the inverted long T 2 components to reach a null point, applying to the sample a half RF excitation pulse and a second slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity, and

after applying the half RF excitation pulse and the second slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity, applying magnetic readout gradients along two orthogonal directions according to a predetermined spiral trajectory in the k-space to obtain a first echo data and a subsequent second echo data from the sample;

obtaining a second image from the sample including

applying to the sample the slice-selective inversion RF pulse and the first slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity to invert magnetization of long T 2 components in the sample,

after the time delay (T 1 ) sufficient for the magnetization of the inverted long T 2 components to reach the null point, applying to the sample the half RF excitation pulse and a second slice-selective gradient of a second polarity and reverse of the first polarity, and

after applying the half RF excitation pulse and the second slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the second polarity, applying the magnetic readout gradients along the two orthogonal directions according to the predetermined spiral trajectory in the k-space to obtain a first echo data and a subsequent second echo data from the sample;

obtaining a slice profile including adding (1) the obtained first echo data for the first image and the obtained first echo data for the second image to produce a final first echo image, and (2) the obtained second echo data for the first image and the obtained second echo data for the second image to produce a final second echo image; and

using a difference between the final first echo image and the final second echo image to obtain imaging information corresponding to short T 2 components in the sample, wherein echo data obtained according to the predetermined spiral trajectory produces images with a higher signal-to-noise (SNR) efficiency value than images obtained using a radial trajectory.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying a first slice-selective magnetic field gradient of a first polarity comprises applying a first slice selective magnetic field gradient of a positive polarity.

7. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising the method of claim 1 .

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to obtain a second echo image based on the acquired data.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to determining a difference between the obtained first echo image and the second echo image to obtain image information corresponding to the short T 2 components in the sample.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to obtain one or more additional echo images based on the acquired data.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to add one or more compensation gradients that minimize gradient error and eddy current effect.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to add a hysteresis gradient to generate a consistent rather than sinusoidal K-space offset for each spiral interleaf in the spiral trajectory.

13. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising the method of claim 5 .

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , further operable to cause a data processing apparatus to apply a first slice selective magnetic field gradient of a positive polarity.

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

a radio frequency (RF) system configured to

apply to a sample, which exhibits long transverse relaxation time (T 2 ) components and short T 2 components, a long inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse that inverts magnetization of the components with the long T 2 components to minimize signals corresponding to the long T 2 components, and

apply half RF excitation pulses to the sample to select at least two echo times;

a gradient coil system configured to

add one or more compensation gradients between each adjacent echo times of the at least two echo times to minimize gradient error and eddy current effect for data associated with the echo time that succeeds the one or more compensation gradients, and

add a hysteresis gradient between the at least two echo times to generate a consistent rather than sinusoidal K-space offset for each spiral interleaf in the spiral trajectory; and

a data processing apparatus configured to

acquire data corresponding to the selected at least two echo times using a spiral trajectory, and

obtaining a first echo image based on the acquired data.

16. The MRI system of claim 15 , wherein the data processing apparatus is further configured to obtain a second echo image based on the acquired data.

17. The MRI system of claim 16 , wherein the data processing apparatus is further configured to determine a difference between the obtained first echo image and the second echo image to obtain imaging information corresponding to the short T 2 components in the sample.

18. The MRI system of claim 16 , wherein the data processing apparatus is further configured to obtain one or more additional echo images based on the acquired data.

19. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) system configured to apply RF pulses to a sample;

a gradient coil system configured to apply gradients to the sample;

a data processing system configured to acquire data;

wherein the radio frequency (RF) system is configured to apply to the sample a slice-selective long duration adiabatic inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse and the gradient coil system is configured to apply to the sample a first slice-selective magnetic field gradient of a first polarity to invert magnetization of long transverse relaxation time (T 2 ) components in the sample;

wherein after a time delay (T 1 ) sufficient for the magnetization of the inverted long T 2 components to reach a null point, the RF system is further configured to apply to the sample a half RF excitation pulse and the gradient coil system further configured to apply a second slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity;

wherein after applying the half RF excitation pulse and the second slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity, the gradient coil system is further configured to apply magnetic readout gradients along two orthogonal directions according to a predetermined spiral trajectory in the k-space to obtain a first echo data and a subsequent second echo data from the sample;

wherein the data processing apparatus is configured to obtain a first image of the sample based on the obtained first echo data and the second echo data;

wherein after obtaining the first image, the RF system is further configured to apply to the sample the slice-selective inversion RF pulse and the gradient coil system is further configured to apply the first slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity to invert magnetization of long T 2 components in the sample for a second time;

wherein after the time delay (T 1 ) sufficient for the magnetization of the inverted long T 2 components to reach the null point for the second time, the RF system is further configured to apply to the sample the half RF excitation pulse and the gradient coil system is further configured to apply a second slice-selective gradient of a second polarity and reverse of the first polarity;

wherein after applying the half RF excitation pulse and the second slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the second polarity, the gradient coil system is further configured to apply the magnetic readout gradients along the two orthogonal directions according to the predetermined spiral trajectory in the k-space to obtain a first echo data and a subsequent second echo data from the sample for the second time; and

wherein the data processing apparatus is further configured to

obtain a second image based on the first echo data and the second echo data obtained for the second time,

obtain a slice profile including adding (1) the obtained first echo data for the first image and the obtained first echo data for the second image to produce a final first echo image, and (2) the obtained second echo data for the first image and the obtained second echo data for the second image to produce a final second echo image, and

determine a difference between the final first echo image and the final second echo image to obtain imaging information corresponding to short T 2 components in the sample, wherein echo data obtained according to the predetermined spiral trajectory produces images with a higher signal-to-noise (SNR) efficiency value than images obtained using a radial trajectory.

20. The MRI system of claim 19 , wherein the gradient coil system is further configured to apply the first slice-selective magnetic field gradient of the first polarity by applying a first slice selective magnetic field gradient of a positive polarity.