Magnetic Resonance Imaging Lecture 2 Flashcards
MRI uses ionizing radiation
TRUE/FALSE
False
MRI has become a vital tool for diagnosing:
Brain tumors and other disease of CNS.
Also for spotting soft-tissue injuries in muscles and ligaments
What is the fundamental property of matter in MRI?
Magnetism
In MRI, magnetism is generated by moving charges which are usually
Electrons
Atoms can have electron orbitals that are
paired (even # of electrons cancel magnetic field) or unpaired (magnetic field present)
Most materials do not show noticeable magnetic properties, except for
permanent magnets
The magnetic field exists as dipoles. There are two poles:
North pole: where magnetic field lines originate
South pole: where magnetic field lines return
Like poles repel, and opposite poles attract
Number of magnetic lines per unit area. It also decreases approx. with the square of the distance from source
Magnetic field strength (B)
also called magnetic flux density
The SI unit for magnetic field is
Tesla (T)
1T = 10,000 G (gauss)
Earth’s magnetic field=
0.00005T=0.05mT=0.5G
The magnetic field is induced by a
moving charge in a wire
What does the magnetic field direction depend on when it comes to the moving charge in the wire?
sign and direction
What is the right hand rule when it comes to the magnetic field?
fingers point in the magnetic field direction and thumb in the direction of a moving positive charge (opposite to the direction of electron movement)
Coiled current carrying wire increases the magnetic field strength inside the coil, with rapid falloff of field strength outside the coil
What does the amplitude of the current in the coil determine?
The overall magnetic field strength
Types of magnets in MRI
Air core magnet and solid core magnets
This magnet include wire-wrapped cylinders. It is also 1m in diameter and 2-3m long.
The magnetic field (B0) is generated by current flowing through the wire
B0 is horizontal (along z-axis)
Air core magnets
In air core magnets this is the peripheral magnetic field outside the magnet core.
It increases for larger bore diameters and higher field strengths.
Extensive fringe field
At what measurement are air core magnets superconducting?
=>1T
This magnet is constructed from permanent magnets or electromagnets.
B0 runs between magnet poles in the vertical direction.
Fringe fields are confined
Solid core magnets
Solid core magnets are commonly used in what type of MRI?
low-strength MRI
What kind of magnets are used in clinical MRI?
superconductive magnets with field strength of 1.5-3T
This is a magnetic property of materials. It is the extent to which a material becomes magnetized when placed in a magnetic field.
Susceptibility
What are the three types of susceptibility?
Diamagnetic, paramagnetic, ferromagnetic
This is a slightly negative susceptibility.
Oppose applied magnetic field: paired electrons the electron orbitals
Diamagnetic
Slightly positive susceptibility.
Enhance applied magnetic field: unpaired electrons in the electron orbitals
Paramagnetic
Supermagnetic-increase the applied magnetic field significantly
Can exhibit self-magnetism
Ferromagnetic
In an atom, these two have magnetic properties affected by spin and charge distributions intrinsic to _______ and _______/
Protons and neutrons
This part of the atom has a positive charge. The magnetic dipole produced by nuclear spin
Protons
This part of the atom is uncharged, but with subnuclear particles. The magnetic dipole produced in opposite direction of proton, and approximately same magnitude
Neutron
Magnetic moment of a nucleus that arises from the spin of the protons and neutrons
Represented by a
vector with magnitude and direction
With the nuclear magnetic moment, does the net magnetic moment exist with an odd or positive number of neutrons and/or protons?
Positive number
In the nuclear magnetic moment, the magnetic moment of many nuclei make up the MRI _____
signal
The protons in our bodies are typically oriented randomly and the magnetic moments cancel each other out ->
Net field=0
Putting a body in an MRI;
When placed in a strong field (the B0 field), the protons line up with (parallel) or against (antiparallel) the main field. In which direction are there slightly more protons?
Net magnetic moment in the direction of B0
Parallel direction
Putting a body in an MRI;
As the magnetic field strength increases, the energy separation of the low- and high- energy levels increases, and the number of protons in the low-energy state
Increases
Precession;
Bo=0
Spinning charge on proton generates magnetic dipole.
The spinning proton with magnetic moment u
Precession;
Bo is applied which imposes a torque on the magnetic moment u
The spin axis is tilted and the magnetic moment precesses about the axis of Bo
How can you figure out precession frequency?
Larmor equation
Larmor equation;
Gyromagnetic ratio is _______ for hydrogen protons
42.58 MHz/T
Net magnetic moment (Mo);
Component of that is Mo parallel to Bo
This is maximum at equilibrium
Longitudinal magnetization (Mz)
Net Magnetic Moment (Mo);
Component of that is Mo that is in the X-Y plane
This is zero at equilibrium
Transverse magnetization (Mxy)
What are the two parts of the net magnetic moment (Mo)?
Longitudinal Magnetization (Mz) Transverse magnetization (Mxy)
What are some frames of reference?
Laboratory frame and rotating frame
Magnetic field B0 is parallel to the z-axis
Frames of reference
This is one type of frame of reference.
Observer is detached from the system
M0 rotating about the z-axis at the Larmor frequency
Laboratory frame
This is one type of frame of reference
Observer is part of the system and rotating about the z-axis at the Larmor frequency
M0 rotating about the z-axis appears stationary
Rotating frame
Make small adjustments to make B0 uniform throughout the volume
Shim coils
Placed within the main bore of the magnet to transmit energy to the patient and receive returning signals
Radiofrequency (RF) coils
Placed within the main bore to produce linear variation of the magnetic field strength across the magnet volume
Gradient coils
Magnetic component of the RF excitation pulse (B1 field) matches the precessional frequency of the protons
Displaces the equilibrium magnetization if the frequency matches the Larmor frequency
Resonance
Result of exciting the tissue sample with RF radiation.
Causes displacement of the equilibrium magnetization by causing antiparallel and parallel spins to flip.
Excitation
RF signal is emitted by the rotating magnetic moment.
__ _______ quantifies the rate of the decay of the magnetization within the xy plane (Mxy).
At equilibrium Mxy=0
After a 90-degree RF pulse, the Mz converted to Mxy
Initially the spins are in phase with each other.
With time, the spins begin to dephase gradually and Mxy=0
T2 relaxation
Also called the transverse or spin-spin relaxation