Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus and method of obtaining magnetic resonance image
View Patent ↗Provided are a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus and method for obtaining a plurality of MR images having different contrasts by using a single pulse sequence. The MRI apparatus includes a controller configured to control a pulse sequence of one cycle to be applied to a plurality of slices of an object, wherein the one cycle includes a first obtaining section during which a first inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse is applied to a first slice of the object and a second obtaining section during which a second inversion RF pulse is applied to a second slice of the object adjacent to the first slice, and to sequentially obtain a first MR signal for capturing a first MR image of the first slice, a second MR signal for capturing at least one second MR image of the second slice adjacent to the first slice, and a third MR signal for capturing at least one third MR image of the first slice, during the first obtaining section.
1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to control a pulse sequence of one cycle to be applied to a plurality of slices of an object, wherein the one cycle comprises a first obtaining section during which a first inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse is applied to a first slice from among the plurality of slices of the object and a second obtaining section during which a second inversion RF pulse is applied to a second slice from among the plurality of slices of the object, the second slice being adjacent to the first slice, the controller being further configured to sequentially obtain a first MR signal for capturing a first MR image of the first slice, a second MR signal for capturing at least one second MR image of the second slice adjacent to the first slice, and a third MR signal for capturing at least one third MR image of the first slice,
wherein the first MR signal, the second MR signal, and the third MR signal are obtained during the first obtaining section,
wherein the first MR image, the at least one second MR image, and the at least one third MR image have mutually different contrasts.
2. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to obtain the first MR signal based on a gradient echo (GRE) signal, and
the first MR image comprises a T2* weighted image.
3. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second MR signal is obtained during an inversion time based on the first inversion RF pulse.
4. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one second MR image comprises a proton density (PD) image and a T2 weighted image, and
the controller is further configured to obtain the second MR signal according to a dual echo sequence and to obtain the PD image and the T2 weighted image by view-sharing the second MR signal.
5. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one third MR image comprises an inversion recovery proton density (PDIR) image and a fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image, and
the controller is further configured to obtain the third MR signal according to a dual echo sequence and to obtain the PDIR image and the FLAIR image by view-sharing the third MR signal.
6. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the third MR signal after an inversion time terminates and before the second obtaining section starts.
7. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the one cycle corresponds to a repetition time (TR),
the first obtaining section is included in a first half of the TR, and
the second obtaining section is included in a second half of the TR.
8. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to sequentially obtain a fourth MR signal for capturing a fourth MR image of the second slice, a fifth MR signal for capturing at least one fifth MR image of the first slice, and a sixth MR signal for capturing a sixth MR image of the second slice,
wherein the fourth MR signal, the fifth MR signal, and the sixth MR signal are obtained during the second obtaining section.
9. The MRI apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the controller is further configured to obtain the fourth MR signal based on a GRE signal, and
the fourth MR image comprises a T2* weighted image.
10. The MRI apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fifth MR signal is obtained during an inversion time based on the second inversion RF pulse.
11. The MRI apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the at least one fifth MR image comprises a PD image and a T2 weighted image, and
the controller is further configured to obtain the fifth MR signal according to a dual echo sequence and to obtain the PD image and the T2 weighted image by view-sharing the fifth MR signal.
12. The MRI apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the at least one sixth MR image comprises a PDIR image and a FLAIR image, and
the controller is further configured to obtain the sixth MR signal according to a dual echo sequence and to obtain the PDIR image and the FLAIR image by view-sharing the sixth MR signal.
13. A method of obtaining a magnetic resonance (MR) image, the method comprising:
controlling a pulse sequence of one cycle to be applied to a plurality of slices of an object, wherein the one cycle comprises a first obtaining section during which a first inversion radio frequency (RF) pulse is applied to a first slice from among the plurality of slices of the object and a second obtaining section during which a second inversion RF pulse is applied to a second slice from among the plurality of slices of the object adjacent to the first slice; and
during the first obtaining section:
obtaining a first MR signal for capturing a first MR image of the first slice;
obtaining a second MR signal for capturing at least one second MR image of the second slice, the second slice being adjacent to the first slice; and
obtaining a third MR signal for capturing at least one third MR image of the first slice,
wherein the first MR image, the at least one second MR image, and the at least one third MR image have mutually different contrasts.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the first MR signal is obtained based on a gradient echo (GRE) signal, and
the first MR image comprises a T2* weighted image.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second MR signal is obtained during an inversion time based on the first inversion RF pulse.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the at least one second MR image comprises a proton density (PD) image and a T2 weighted image, and the second MR signal is obtained based on a dual echo sequence, and
the method further comprises obtaining the PD image and the T2 weighted image by view-sharing the second MR signal.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the at least one third MR image comprises an inversion recovery proton density (PDIR) image and a fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image, and the third MR signal is obtained based on a dual echo sequence, and
the method further comprises obtaining the PDIR image and the FLAIR image by view-sharing the third MR signal.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third MR signal is obtained after an inversion time terminates and before the second obtaining section starts.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the one cycle corresponds to a repetition time (TR),
the first obtaining section is included in a first half of the TR, and
the second obtaining section is included in a second half of the TR.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 13 .