By Yaacoub Salman

* In this course we will discuss the reasons behind the imaging steps in MRI &
the instrumentation of the MR machine starting from its basic physics
reaching its image quality control.
* After continuing this course you should be able to recognize all the MRI
parameters, master these parameters & be prepared for further studies
related to advanced MRI physics & techniques.
*Magnetic resonance Imaging or MRI is an advanced imaging technique in
the medical imaging domain. It came after the computed tomography (CT) to
provide new definitions for pathologies using completely different physical
concepts.
*MRI made use of the immeasurable magnetic fields in the human body
and found some ways in order to make them measurable to later make an
image from them.
*Simply, in MRI we are – somehow – imaging the distribution of hydrogen
atoms (we will know later why particularly the hydrogen atoms) & for doing
this we make the following steps:
1. The patient is placed in a “Big” magnet.
2. A specific type of EM waves is sent in.
3. EM is turned off.
4. Signal “comes back” from the patient & “caught” by a receiver.
*An image is reconstructed using the received signal.
*Part 1 Basic Physics
• Human body
• Magnetic field
• Magnets
• Magnetization
• Excitation
• Relaxation
• Gradients
• Sequences

*Part 2 MRI in Practice

• Sequence Parameters
• Image Artifacts
• Examples
* Our body is a complex of different Systems, where – for example - we
have the respiratory, urinary, digestive, nervous systems….
* Each one of these systems consists of several Organs. For example, the
digestive system consists of the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the
intestines, liver, pancreas …..
* Each organ in the human body is made up of different Tissues, where we
have the epithelial, mucus, bony …. and so many other types. The tissue is
a great group of Cells.
* The living cell is composed of chemical components called the Molecules
(DNA, Ribosome, Mitochondrion, cytoplasm…) & these molecules are
composed of smaller elements which are the ATOMS.
* Lets remember together the chemical
component of the atom.
* The atom consists of two main parts:
1. Nucleus.
2. Electron Cloud.
* The nucleus contains two chemical
particles elements: protons & neutrons.
* The electron cloud contains the electrons,
as the name points.
* Electrons are the negatively charged
particles that rotate continuously around the
nucleus.
* Neutrons are the neutral particle of the
atom.
* Protons are the positively charged
particles in the atom.
* The number of the protons equals that of
electrons & their charges are the same but
opposite, for so, we say the atom is neutral
or has a net charge ZERO.
* Since about 75% of our body is water, & the chemical formula of water
is H2O, so the most abundant element in us is the hydrogen (H).
* Another reason for choosing hydrogen is that it contains only one
proton so it is considered as a proton itself.
* Our concern in studying the physics of MRI is the protons.
What is a proton?
What are the physical properties of it? & how are these properties used in MRI?

* proton is the positively charged particle of the atom & it is found in the
nucleus. It has a continuous, endless motion called Spinning.
* Spinning is a type of motion in which the proton rotates around an axis,
just like the earth.
* As we have said before, proton has a charge & it is always spinning,
therefore, the charge of this proton is also moving with it.
* According to Faraday’s law, when the charge moves it is an
electric current by itself, so the proton has its own electric
current. Also that law states that when the current moves it
induces a magnetic field. This phenomenon is called the
electromagnetic induction.
* The overall result is that the proton has its own magnetic field, for
so we say that the proton is a” mini-magnet”.