MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a diagnostic

Radiology Technique. MRI is a non-invasive medical imaging

technique that helps physicians, diagnose certain anatomical
abnormalities .or pathological conditions.
MRI scanner and procedure:
MRI scanner is a giant circular magnetic tube.
The patient is placed on a movable bed that is inserted into the
magnet.
Human body is mainly composed of - water molecules which
contain two hydrogen nuclei /protons, each.
The magnet creates a strong .magnetic field that makes these
protons align with the direction of the magnetic field (protons
are not aligned under normal conditions).
A second radiofrequency electromagnetic field is then turned on
for a brief period.
The "protons absorb sore energy from these .radio waves. When
this second radio frequency emitting field is turned off, the
protons release energy at a radio frequency which can be
detected by the MRI scanner (the protons return to their
equilibrium state from the energized state at different relaxation
rates).
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a spectroscopic imaging technique used in medical
settings to produce images of the inside of the human body. n MRI is based on the
principles of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which is a spectroscopic technique
used to obtain microscopic chemical and physical data about molecules n In 1977 the
first MRI exam was performed on a human being. It took 5 hours to produce one image.


 How does it work
 The magnetic resonance imaging is accomplished through the absorption and emission
of energy of the radio frequency (RF) range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
 Why MRI ? Utilizes non ionizing radiation. (unlike x-rays). Ability to image in any
plane. (unlike CT scans). Very low incidents of side effects.
 Ability to diagnose, visualize, and evaluate various illnesses. The only better way to see
the insides of your body is to cut you open.
 Magnet which produces a very powerful uniform magnetic field.
 Gradient Magnets which are much lower in strength.
 Equipment to transmit radio frequency (RF).
 A very powerful computer system, which translates the signals transmitted by the coils.
 Magnet: most important component of the MRI scanner is the magnet: The magnets
currently used in scanners today are in the .5-tesla to 2.0-tesla range (5,000 to 20,000-
gauss).
 Higher values are used for research.
 Earth magnetic field: 0.5-gauss
 There are three types of magnets used in MRI systems:
 Resistive magnets
 Permanent magnets
 Super conducting magnets (the most commonly used type in MRI scanners).
 In addition to the main magnet, the MRI machine also contains three gradient magnets.
+
 These magnets have a much lower magnetic field and are used to create a variable
field.
 Does It All Work? Spin: The atoms that compose the human body have a
property known as spin (a fundamental property of all atoms in nature like mass
or charge). Spin can be thought of as a small magnetic field and can be given a
+ or – sign and a mathematical value of multiples of ½. Components of an atom
such as protons, electrons and neutrons all have spin.
 9. The Technology (cont.) n Spin (cont.): Protons and neutron spins are
known as nuclear spins. An unpaired component has a spin of ½ and two
particles with opposite spins cancel one another. In NMR it is the unpaired
nuclear spins that produce a signal in a magnetic field.
 10. The Technology (cont.) n Human body is mainly composed of fat and
water, which makes the human body composed of about 63% hydrogen. Why
Are Protons Important to MRI? positively charged spin about a central axis a
moving (spinning) charge creates a magnetic field the straight arrow (vector)
indicates the direction of the magnetic field.
 11. The Technology (cont.) n When placed in a large magnetic field,
hydrogen atoms have a strong tendency to align in the direction of the magnetic
filed n Inside the bore of the scanner, the magnetic field runs down the center
of the tube in which the patient is placed, so the hydrogen protons will line up in
either the direction of the feet or the head. n The majority will cancel each
other, but the net number of protons is sufficient to produce an image.
 12. The Technology (cont.) n Energy Absorption: n The MRI machine
applies radio frequency (RF) pulse that is specific to hydrogen. n The RF pulses
are applied through a coil that is specific to the part of the body being scanned.
 13. The Technology (Cont.) Resonance (cont.) The gradient magnets are
rapidly turned on and off which alters the main magnetic field. n The pulse
directed to a specific area of the body causes the protons to absorb energy and
 spin in different direction, which is known as resonance Frequency (Hz) of energy
absorption depends on strength of external magnetic field.
 14. The Technology (cont.) n the resonance frequency, ω0, is referred to as
the Larmor frequency n this frequency is needed to excite transverse
magnetization (precession) Larmor Equation ω γβ π0 0 2= MHz T x Ts 864.63 5.1
675.2 0 0 1108 = = = • ω β γFor hydrogen at 1.5T:
 When the RF pulse is turned off the hydrogen protons slowly return to their
natural alignment within the magnetic field and release their excess stored
energy. This is known as relaxation. -> two time-scales (see later) n What
happens to the released energy? n Released as heat OR n Exchanged and
absorbed by other protons OR n Released as Radio Waves.
 16. The Technology (cont.) n Measuring the MR Signal: n the moving proton
vector induces a signal in the RF antenna n The signal is picked up by a coil and
sent to the computer system. the received signal is sinusoidal in nature n The
computer receives mathematical data, which is converted through the use of a
Fourier transform into an image.
 The top spinning in the earth's gravity. The gravity tries to pull it down but it
stays upright due to its fast rotation. B) A charge spinning in the magnetic field
Bo.
 21. n A) The protons spinning in the nature, without an external strong field.
The directions of spins are random and cancel out each other. The net
magnetization is nearly 0. n B) In the presence of a large external magnetic
field Bo the spins align themselves either against (high energy state) or along
(low energy state). There is a slight abundance of spins aligned in the low energy
state.
 22. Longitudinal magnetization more spins with lower energy, i.e. parallel to
external field
 23. A) The compass needle (a small magnet) aligns itself with a N/ S-S/N
direction when placed in a large magnetic field. B) When another strong magnet
is brought near the aligned compass needle the magnetic fields of all three
magnets interact in such a way that the mobile, weakest magnet (the compass
needle) realigns itself away from its original orientation. C) When the perturbing
magnetic field is removed suddenly the compass needle magnet realigns itself
with the large external magnet field, but before realigning, it wobbles around the
point of stability and gradually comes to rest.
 24. n Fig: 4. The spin of a proton can be represented by a vector B with a
direction and magnitude. Its relation to the direction of the external magnetic
field Bo is represented by an angle.
 25. n A) The spin of a proton aligned to Bo in the Z-axis. n B) An external
perturbing magnetic field, B1, is applied which knocks the vector out of its axis,
which now is aligned at a new angle with respect to Bo. n C) As the perturbing
field B1 is removed the vector gradually starts returning back to its original state
and n D) begins to wobble
 26. n A) The falling water rotates a wheel to which a magnet is attached. When
this magnet rotates it induces an alternating current in a coil of wire which can
be detected. n B) A magnetic field (spin of a proton) rotating near a coil of MR
antenna induces a similar current in the loop which can be detected.
 27. Resonance The gradient coils. n A) the body placed in the core of the
magnet with B0 aligned to its long axis. n B) the gradient coil oriented in the Z-
axis (along the long axis of the body) which gradually and linearly increases from
left to right. n C) At the center of the gradient field, the frequency is equal to
that of B0, but at a distance Δx the field changes by a factor of ΔB0.
 28. Resonance n The resonance equation shows that the resonance
frequency ν of a spin is proportional to the magnetic field, Bo, it is experiencing.
ν = γ Bo n Where γ is the gyromagnetic ratio. [the ratio of the magnetic
moment of a spinning charged particle to its angular momentum]
 29. Two time-scales: T1 and T2 n T1 is the spin-lattice relaxation time-scale
for the longitudinal magnetization to come back to its initial value n T2 is the
spin-spin relaxation time for the transverse magnetization to decrease to zero n
T1-weighted imaging: higher spatial resolution n T2-weighted imaging: higher
tissue contrast n typically both time-scales are used .,
 30. Recap: What Does the Image Represent? n For every unit volume of
tissue, there is a number of cells, these cells contain water molecules, each
water molecule contain one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms. n Each hydrogen
atom contains one proton in its nucleus. Different tissues thus produce different
images based on the amount of their hydrogen atoms producing a signal