Stem and method for acquiring MRI data from bone and soft tissues

摘要

A system and method for producing MR images in which bone and soft tissue are identified. The method includes applying a pulse sequence that includes a first stage configured to acquire a radially-encoded FID and radially-encoded echoes performed after a non-selective RF excitation pulse and before a second stage, which is configured to acquire additional echoes. The radially-encoded MR data acquired during the first stage is substantially representative of bone, while the MR data acquired during the second stage is substantially representative of soft tissues. MR images in which bone and soft tissue are identified are reconstructed from these MR data sets.

主权项

1. A method for producing a magnetic resonance (MR) image that depicts both bone and soft tissue, the steps of the method comprising:
a) directing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to perform a pulse sequence a plurality of times, wherein each repetition of the pulse sequence includes:
a) i) producing a non-selective radio frequency (RF) pulse;a) ii) acquiring during a first stage of the pulse sequence:
an MR signal from a free-induction-decay having an ultra-short echo time using a radial k-space trajectory; andat least one MR signal from at least one echo occurring after the free-induction decay using a radial k-space trajectory; anda) iii) acquiring during a second stage of the pulse sequence that occurs after the first stage of the pulse sequence, a plurality of MR signals from echoes occurring after the at least one echo occurring in step a) ii); and b) producing an MR image that depicts both bone and soft tissue by:
b) i) reconstructing an image that depicts substantially only bone from the MR signals acquired in the first stage of the pulse sequence;b) ii) reconstructing an image that depicts soft tissues from the plurality of MR signals acquired in second stage of the pulse sequence; andb) iii) combining the images reconstructed in steps b) i) and b) ii) to produce the MR image depicting both bone and soft tissue.