MRI
INSTRUMENTATION
INTRODUCTION
• Several processes must be completed to produce
magnetic resonance images, including image
acquisition and image formation.
• To complete these processes a number of system
components are required including hardware and
software programs.
HARDWARE REQUIRED:
•A magnet – nuclear alignment
•A radio frequency source – RF excitation
•A magnetic field gradient system – Spatial Encoding
•Computer system – image formation process and
user interface
•An image processor – to convert signals into images
MAGNETISM
• Magnetism is a fundamental property of matter
• Magnetic susceptibility is defined as the ability of the external
magnetic field to affect the nucleus of an atom and/or magnetize it
MAGNETS
•Magnetic field strength is measured in TESLA OR GAUSS
•The unit gauss is used to measure low field strength
•Tesla is used to measure high field strength
•1T = 10KG = 10000G.
CATEGORIES OF MAGNETIC
STRENGTH
• Diamagnetism
• Para magnetism
• Ferromagnetism
DIAMAGNETISM
• Diamagnetic material have paired electrons
• With no external magnetic field present, diamagnetic
substances such as lead and copper show net magnetic moment
• When an external magnetic field is applied, diamagnetic
substances show small magnetic moment that opposes applied
field.
• Substances of this type are therefore not attracted to, but are
repelled by the magnetic field.
PARAMAGNETISM
• Paramagnetic materials have unpaired electrons
• Due to unpaired electrons within the atom, paramagnetic substances have a
small magnetic moment
• With no external magnetic field , these magnetic moments
occur in a random pattern
• In presence of an external magnetic field paramagnetic
substances align with the direction of the field and so magnetic
moments add together
• Paramagnetic material is gadolinium chelates used as MR
contrast agent
FERROMAGNETISM
• Ferromagnetic material have half filled electron shells
• When ferromagnetic substance comes in contact with magnetic
field results are strong attraction and alignment
• Materials retain their magnetization even when external
magnetic field has been removed
• These are permanently magnetized and become permanent
magnet
PRIMARY MAGNETS
Permanent magnet
Solenoid magnet
Resistive magnet
Superconductive magnet
Hybrid magnet
Niche magnet
PERMANENT MAGNET
• Ferromagnetic substances retain magnetism after
being exposed to a magnetic field these substances
are used in the production of permanent magnet
• Common material used :alloy of aluminum , nickel
and cobalt known as ALNICO
• It has lines of flux running vertically from south to north pole of
the magnet.
ADVANTAGE
Require no power supply.
Low operational cost.
ELECTROMAGNET
Electromagnet is a type of magnet in which magnetic field is produced
by an electric current
Magnetic field disappears when current is turned off
Electromagnets consists of large number of closely spaced turns of wire
that create magnetic field
LAW OF ELECTROMAGNETISM
• Interaction of any two of the variable (charge,motion,magnetism) will
automatically result in the creation of third .
• If a current is passed thro a long straight wire magnetic field is created
around that wire.
• Therefore more the current higher the magnetic field strength
RIGHT HAND THUMB RULE
States that : fingers of the right hand are curled around a wire and the thumb
points in the direction of the current , the fingers point in the direction of the
magnetic field
SOLENOID MAGNETS
•To create a strong magnet a number of current carrying wires can be
placed side by side
•One wire can be wrapped around to form many loops( spring like)
•Loops of wire form a coil and they are parallel to straight wires
•This spring like electromagnets is called a solenoid electromagnet
Strength of the magnetic field is
determined by the :
• Amount of current passed through the wire
• Number of loops in the spring
• Distance between the loops
RESISTIVE MAGNETS
• Magnetic field strength in a resistive magnet
depends on the amount of current that passes
through its coil of wire
• Maximum field strength in a system of this type is
less than 0.2T or 0.3T
• As resistive system consist of current carrying
loops of wires , it is lighter in weight
• To keep magnetic field on power to the system
must be on
SUPERCONDUCTING
ELECTROMAGNETS
• Superconducting magnets are electromagnets that are partially built
from superconducting material and therefore reach much higher
magnetic field
• Coils are constructed from an alloy of niobium and titanium
• This material exhibits a property known as
superconductivity when cooled below a certain
critical temperature.
• To maintain superconductivity current carrying
loops of wire are supercooled with substances
known as cryogens
• Cryogens used is liquid HELIUM and in some
cases liquid NITROGEN
• Superconducting magnet produces relatively high
magnetic field strength with no power supply
NICHE MAGNETS
They are the imagers used for speciality imaging
concerns by making variation in system design
Eg; ultralow or high field magnet for orthopedic
applications
Some operate field strength as low as 0.01T and as
high as 1T
In ultra low field scanners the field strength is very
low and there are SNR restrictions
To improve SNR in MF parameters can be modified
Modification result in an increase scan time
High field extremity scanners generally yield images
with high SNR
HYBRID MAGNET
• It is a type of superconducting magnet consisting of a large bore
NIOBIUM-TITANIUM external coil , which provides an external field of
about 5 tesla and inner coil which provides additional field strength .
FRINGE FIELDS
• The stray magnetic field outside the bore of the magnet is
known as the fringe field.
• The field associated with a permanent magnet is relatively
low , but in unshielded high field electromagnets the fringe
field can extend over an area of many meters.
MAGNETIC SHIELDING
• Magnetic shielding can reduce the area affected by the fringe
field
2 METHODS :
• PASSIVE
• ACTIVE
PASSIVE SHIELDING
• It is accomplished by surrounding the magnet with steel plates
• This method is expensive and convenient
• Performed at the time of installation and also counteracts any
inhomogeneity
• Passive shielding can weigh up to 40 tonnes
ACTIVE SHIELDING
•Active shielding uses an additional solenoid electromagnets located around
outside of main magnet coils of each end of magnet bore
•These are located inside the cryostat and are superconducting coils
•They exhibit an equal but opp. effect to the main magnet which results in a
reduction in size of the fringe field
•Performed by an electromagnetic coil and can be used to shim the system for
each patient or even each sequence within a protocol
SECONDARY MAGNET
• Shim coil
• RF coil
• Gradient coil
• Surface coil
SHIM COILS
• Shimming is a process to make magnetic field
homogenous
• Shimming can be achieved either actively or passively or
by a combination of both
• Shimming is achieved by use of metal
discs/plates(passive) and an additional solenoid
magnet(active)
GRADIENT COILS
• This is a cylindrical structure containing three individual
electromagnets
• Gradient set can be activated to create a slope in the static field
These coils are used for spatial encoding
• Gradient echo sequence are also used to re phase spins and
produce echo
• Gradient is a slope in this case a very linear slope in magnetic
field strength across the imaging volume in a particular direction
RF COILS
• To produce image , RF must first be transmitted at the
resonant frequency of hydrogen , so that resonance can
occur.
• Instrument required to achieve resonance is the RF coil
which includes RF transmitter coils and RF receiver coil.
• Coil that transmit signals are known as RF transmitter coil.
• Those detect signal are called RF receiver coil.
• Coils both transmit and receive is known as transceivers.
RF TRANSMITTER
• RF transmitter that sends radio waves with enough energy to create phase coherence
and flip some of the spins from a low energy state to high energy state
• This RF pulse transfers the NMV from the position
• Such a pulse therefore called a 90 RF pulse
• The 90 RF pulse is created by an oscillating secondary magnetic field formed as a
result of alternating current flowing through a loop of wire called an RF transmitter coil
VOLUME COILS
• Volume coils can be configured in :
Solenoid
Saddle
Birdcage configuration
• Volume coil both transmit RF and receive MR signal and is
called transceiver
• Volume coils are responsible for uniform excitation over large
area
• Because of their large size they generally produce images with
lower SNR than other types of coil
SURFACE COIL
• Coils configured with a simple loop of wire and other
component are known as linear coils
• These coil typically offer a high SNR because they only detect
noise from a small area , and they are positioned close to area of
interest
• Surface coil are used to improve the SNR when imaging
structures near the surface of patient
• Surface coils are usually small and specifically shaped so that they can
easily be placed near the anatomy to be imaged with little or no discomfort to
the patient
• Signal is received only from sensitive volume of the coil that corresponds to
the area located around the coil
COILS
RF SHIELDING
• Shielding is important not only for the
magnetic field but also for the RF field.
• Accomplished by the use of copper
shielding, which is also known as a Faraday
cage
PATIENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
• Systems use mechanically driven couch to lift the patient
up to the level of bore
•This is achieved by pedals or buttons that move couch up
or down
• Table should be comfortable for the pt. and allow for the
attachment of coils
• All couches be magnetically safe and contain no metal
parts
MR COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND THE
USER INTERFACE
•Magnet, RF system, gradient system and associated components do
not function without direction
•To make MR images, all these components need to be directed or
programmed to function properly
•MRI computer systems vary with manufacturer
✓ the computer system (a minicomputer)
✓ pulse control unit
✓ an array processor for Fourier transformation
✓ an image processor
✓ hard disc drives for storage of raw data and pulse
sequence parameters
✓ a power distribution
✓ the operator console for user interface.
•This direction is offered by a computer system and over seen by
programmer and then implemented by user
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
• MR computers are programmed at the system
manufacturer by pulse programmers, who pre -
program pulse sequence, scan parameters and image
processing function.
• They are generally programmed such that the
order and timing of RF and gradient pulses are set
based on the parameters and options set by the
system user.
IMAGE ACQUISITION OR SCANNING
• During MR image acquisition ,a sequence of RF &
gradient pulses are applied to patient within an MR
scanner.
• This sequence of RF and gradient pulses is known as
pulse sequence
• Current passes through a RF and gradient coils are
switched on and off very rapidly to precise time during
pulse sequence
• Strength ,order and timing of RF pulses determines the
MR image resolution
OPERATOR INTERFACE
• Operator interface is located in a control room
adjacent to scan room
• Flat panel monitor displays a graphical user interface
allowing the input of scan parameters and also allows
for graphical positioning of slice
START UP
• Power on/off
• Emergency off—This should be used only if the patient is in
imminent danger
• Intercom—This device allows communication with the
patient
• Scan control module
• Image-guided graphical prescription—Allows placement of
slices, the number of slices, and the gaps between them etc
MR IMAGE STORAGE
•If permanent copy of images is required they can stored on a CD
or DVD.
•For permanent storage , data may be archived either on to
magnetic tape,DAT tape,optical disc, or on PACS system.
