Module 1 Fundamentals of MRI Flashcards
What are the basic requirements for MRI?
-strong magnetic field
-external RF energy source
-odd number of nuclear protons
Why is a strong magnetic field required for MRI?
because the patient must be situated within a magnetic environment in order to generate the MR signal that’s used to create images
Why is an external energy source required for MRI?
patient’s tissues must be stimulated with energy before those tissues can generate the MR signal that’s used to create images
Why is an odd number of nuclear protons required for MRI?
for a material to be suitable for MR it must be able to respond appropriately to the external magnetic field and external energy source
what is the particle of interest for MRI?
hydrogen
Why is hydrogen suitable for MRI?
-it is abundant in the body
-it consists of a single proton
what is a proton?
a positively charged particle
what are the 2 orientations of protons in a magnetic field?
parallel and antiparallel
what is antiparallel orientation?
protons orient themselves antiparallel where their spin axes align against the external magnetic field, it is an excited, high energy state.
the north pole of the proton aligns with the north pole of the external magnet
what is parallel orientation?
protons orient themselves parallel which is a relaxed, low energy state where their spin axes align with the main magnetic field. north pole of the protons aligns with the south pole of the external magnet
what is the net magnetic moment?
-the result of all the protons aligning either parallel or antiparallel
–the sum of the magnetic effects of all the protons exposed to the main magnetic field
An overall net magnetization occurs in the _______direction.
parallel
this is also called equilibrium magnetizaton
what is precession?
-a wobbling motion
-the net magnetization wobbles around the main magnetic field once it has been tilted
How is net magnetization measured?
-the net magnetization must be tilted away from its alignment with the magnetic field
-when its tilted away, it forms the actual MR signal
T or F
we need to manipulate the net magnetization of protons in order to generate an electromagnetic signal we can measure
true
a MR signal is:
an oscillating electromagnetic wave at a specific frequency
the MR signals frequency is established by:
the rate of precession of the net magnetization
the precessional frequency is often called the:
resonant frequency
the resonant frequency is determined by the:
strength of the magnetic field as described by the larmor equation
what is the larmor equation?
the resonant frequency of a population of a specific nucleus not only depends on the magnetic field strength that the nuclei are exposed to but also depends on a mathematical constant which is unique for each type of nucleus
what is the gyromagnetic ratio?
the mathematical constant unique for each type of nucleus
defines how the resonant frequency of the net magnetization is affected by the magnetic field strength for a given atomic nucleus
as the magnetic field strength increases, the resonant frequency of the net magnetization:
increases
what is the gyromagnetic ratio of hyrdrogen
42.6 megahertz per tesla (MHz/T)
this means in a 1 Telsa field, the magnetization of protons will precess at a rate of 42.6 million complete rotations per second
larmor equation
the gyromagnetic ratio in MHz/T x the magnetic field in tesla = the resonant or larmor frequency in MHz
it is precisely at the precessional frequency that:
RF energy is transmitted into the patient to disturb or tilt the net magnetization of protons
the protons will generate the MR signal precisely at the:
precessional frequency
the goal in MRI is to:
to differentiate one type of body tissue from another in order to depict normal tissue as well as pathology
To learn about tissues, we must:
disturb the proton’s equilibrium and move their net magnetization out of alignment with the main magnetic field