Synopsis

Keywords: Education Committee: Clinical MRI

This session introduces some of MRI essentials, including MRI instruments, nuclear spin, Lamar frequency-resonance, magnetization/precession/rotating frame and T₁/T₂ relaxation etc. Conventional spatial encoding based on gradients and geometrical method for MRI are briefly covered. In summary, MRI requires a strong magnet, some nuclear spins and RF transmit and receive. With an RF applied on resonance, we can manipulate the magnetization vector. The resulting MR signal has two characteristic relaxation times – T₁ and T₂. With numerous spatial encoding methods, MRI can be obtained.