Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

NBE-E4000 Principles of Biomedical Imaging

Koos Zevenhoven
Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering
Aalto University, Finland
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Theory)
• Lecturer: Koos Zevenhoven
• Research Group Leader at Aalto NBE
• Exercises:
Koos & Marko Havu & Iiro Lehto & Antti Mäkinen

Contact: koos.zevenhoven@aalto.fi
Otakaari 3 / Rakentajanaukio 2

• Two rounds of exercises:

1. Pen & paper (mostly)
2. Pen & paper + Computer

11/19/2019
1977:
the first human scan
Dr. Damadian with his MRI scanner
Lauterbur and Mansfield (Nobel 2003) and
Damadian (patent 1972).
Today’s big MRI manufacturers :
GE, Siemens, Philips, Hitachi, Toshiba,
FONAR, Varian, Bruker, …
A theoretical
perspective to MRI
• Introduction
• Basic principles
• Spins, magnetization,
precession, signal
• Spatial encoding
• Image reconstruction
Subject in MEG–MRI system at Aalto University
Hybrid MEG–MRI for better accuracy
• SQUID sensors tailored for
ultra-low-field (ULF) MRI
can be used for MEG
• MRI & MEG in same
session
• Eliminate coregistration
• ULF MRI provides
interesting new
possibilities
• Can it also measure tissue
conductivities?
MEG–MRI at Aalto University

20 VTT All-planar
3xSQUID sensor modules
[J Luomahaara et al., Supercond.
Sci. Technol. 24:075020 (2011)]

Vesanen, Nieminen, Zevenhoven, Dabek, Parkkonen, Zhdanov, Luomahaara,

Hassel, Penttilä, Simola, Ahonen, Mäkelä, Ilmoniemi, Hybrid ultra-low-field MRI
and MEG based on a commercial whole-head neuromagnetometer,
Magn. Reson. Med. 69:1795–1804 (2013)
Major goal:
Improvement of image quality
Bp 22  150 mT
Sensor noise 5  1 fT/Hz1/2
Sensor modules 16  102

Resolution 4 mm  1 mm
Why MRI?

• Noninvasive, without ionizing radiation

• Volumetric imaging
• High resolution
• Soft-tissue contrast better than CT
• Imaging through bone easy, unlike US
• MR brain images needed, e.g., for EEG, MEG, TMS, and
NIRS
• Current state: over 20 000 scanners in the world
• Applications: fMRI, DTI, temperature mapping, etc.
MRI principles and theory

Precession of nuclear magnetization

Complex signal
Encoding of spatial information
k space
Rotating frame
Flipping pulses
Contrast
Pulse sequences
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
• System of atomic nuclei magnetizes in
external magnetic field
• Nuclear spin dynamics is
analogous to a spinning top
(precession of angular momentum)
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)

• Precession frequency, i.e., Larmor frequency, (ω)

proportional to magnetic field (B): ω = γB
• Gyromagnetic ratio, γ = (2π) 42.58 MHz/T, for hydrogen
• Precession generates a measurable magnetic field
• Spatially varying magnetic fields encode spatial information
MRI: endless possibilites

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Gradient coils

Note the wrong axes

Linear gradients for spatial encoding?
𝒌𝒌 space vs. 𝒓𝒓 space (real space)

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 𝒌𝒌 space data describes
spatial waves in real space

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RF coil (B1 coil)
Gradient-echo sequence
Spin-echo sequence
 Tissue T1 (s) T2 (ms) ρ*
Spin echo image contrast CSF 0.8 - 20 110 - 2000 70-230
0.76 -
White 61-100 70-90
1.08
1.09 -
Gray 61 - 109 85 - 125
2.15
Muscl 0.95 -
20 - 67 45 - 90
e 1.82

TR: 250 ms, 2000 ms

TE: 20 ms, 80 ms
Artefacts: aliasing
Full k space

Every other line

Every third line

Every fourth line

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 Full k space
R=1
SENSE
reconstruction
R=2

Single channel
R=3

R=4

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Artefacts: susceptibility

11/19/2019
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Theory)
• Lecturer: Koos Zevenhoven
• Research Group Leader at Aalto NBE
• Exercises:
Koos & Marko Havu & Iiro Lehto & Antti Mäkinen

Contact: koos.zevenhoven@aalto.fi
Otakaari 3 / Rakentajanaukio 2

• Two rounds of exercises:

1. Pen & paper (mostly)
2. Pen & paper + Computer

11/19/2019
Subject in MEG–MRI system at Aalto University