MRI GRADIENTS

PHASE AND FREQUENCY

ENCODING

AKASH NAIK
16MM60001
 The Question

● If we simply excite all the spins

within the head with one RF pulse, the
averaged transverse magnetization in
the head would generate the MR
signal.

The question remains:

● How can we distinguish between MR
signals from different locations in the
body?
 The gradient trick
● In a homogeneous magnetic field, the
field strength is the same everywhere
by definition (B0) with proton spins
show the same precession frequency 0
proportional to the field strength.

● When a magnetic field gradient is

applied, the field shows a linear
increase. The precession of the proton
spins in this direction varies
accordingly at different places

● Only those spins that precess at the

correct Larmor frequency will resonate
with a given RF pulse.
● Gradient coils in pairs are
operated in a specific
direction.

● One coil increases the static

magnetic field, the
opposing coil reduces it.

This means that

● the magnetic field with its
original strength B0
changes like the incline of a
road.
● Slice selection – locating a
slice in the scan plane selected.

● Phase encoding -Spatially

locating signal along the short
axis of the image

● Frequency encoding-
Spatially locating signal along
the long axis of the image
Slice Selection
 Slice Selection

● A slice is a defined resonance

area of the proton spins.

● Outside the slice, the spins are

not excited by the RF pulse.

● Transverse magnetization
(and therefore an MR signal)
is generated only within the
selected slice.
The matrix : resolution
● How do we get an image
from a slice ?

● Let us assume we want to generate

a tomogram in a 256 x 256 matrix
size.

● In this case, each row and column

has to be divided into 256 locations.

● Phase and Frequency encoding

through two axes enables us to
create such matrix
Phase Encoding
● The transverse
magnetization is
spinning at the same
rate and producing
signals that have the
same frequency.

● But the signals are out

of phase.
● We have to generate 256 MR signals with
different phase encodings for 256
different locations.
● This means 256 phase-encoding steps.
FREQUENCY
ENCODING
● Row of 256 x 256 matrix

• The spins of nuclei experiencing a

higher magnetic field strength due
to the gradient speed up; i.e. their
precessional frequencies increase
(similar to a high note on a keyboard).

• The spins of nuclei experiencing a

lower magnetic field strength due
to the presence of the gradient slow
down; i.e. their precessional fre-
quencies decrease (similar to a low note
on a keyboard) .
The Sequence
● Acquisition of
signals and
Fourier
Transform

● Image
reconstruction
from k-space
K-Space
Image Reconstruction
Refereences
[1] https://www.healthcare.siemens.co.in/magnetic-resonance-imaging
[2] http://www.sprawls.org/mripmt/

[3] Willey .2nd Ed. MRI at a Glance

THANK YOU