title: On the stationary states in gradient echo imaging.
abstract: A formalism is presented that concisely describes the magnetization of a sample subjected to a periodic series of RF pulses. In this formalism, the steady state of the magnetization is shown to be a sum of magnetic substates, each with unique contrast characteristics. When more than one substate contributes to a given image, the substates interfere with each other, producing ghosts and other artifacts. Properly designed gradient protocols can image single substates, producing ghost-free images. The contrast of the image depends largely on the choice of the imaged substate. Analytic solutions for unspoiled, RF spoiled, and gradient spoiled magnetizations are presented.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama 35233, USA.
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Sobol
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gauntt
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted