MRI Fundamentals

Week 5:
Image Contrast, Field of View, and
Resolution

Sung-Hong Park
Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST


 Contents

Gradient Echo and Spin Echo Imaging

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Contrast Mechanism in Spin Echo Imaging

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Contrast Mechanism in Gradient Echo Imaging

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Field of View
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Resolution
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
 Gradient Echo and Spin Echo


 Gradient Echo Imaging
𝑇𝑅
𝑇𝐸 𝑇𝐸

RF ...

Gradient Echo Gradient Echo

𝐺𝑧 …

𝐺𝑥 …

𝐺𝑦 …

Sampling Sampling
ADC …
The prephase and frequency encoding gradients generate gradient echo.
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The time from the RF pulse center to the echo center is called echo time (typically denoted as TE).
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The time from one RF pulse center to the next RF pulse center is called time to repeat (typically
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denoted as TR). ( defined for RF pulses exciting the same slice location)
Typically the slice refocusing, prephase, and phase encoding gradients are applied simultaneously.
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
 Spin Echo
180˚ RF
90˚ RF

Time
FID
Spin echo
TE/2
MZ TE
90˚ Slow

180˚
Fast spin
Two successive RF pulses induce a spin echo.
After the first RF pulse, the magnetization is dephased by spin-spin interaction
(irreversible) and magnetic field inhomogeneity (reversible).
When 180˚ RF pulse is applied, all transverse magnetizations are flipped around
transverse plane. This makes the fast spins lagging the phase and slow spins leading the
phase.
The dephased magnetization regroups and generates a spin echo.
The time between the 90˚ and 180˚ RF pulses is identical to the time between the 180˚ RF
and the center of the spin echo.


 Spin Echo Imaging
𝑇𝑅
𝑇𝐸
𝑇𝐸/2 𝑇𝐸/2
90˚ RF 180˚ RF 90˚ RF
RF ...

Spin Echo
𝐺𝑧 …

𝐺𝑥 …

𝐺𝑦 …

Sampling
ADC …
The only differences from gradient echo imaging are (i) 180 RF pulse and (ii) change in polarity in
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the prephase gradient ( The 180 RF pulse changes phases of prephase gradient too.)
Definitions of echo time (TE) and time to repeat (TR) are almost the same as gradient echo imaging.
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
 Spin Echo Imaging (cont.)
There are hundreds of MR imaging techniques and most of them can be
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classified into gradient echo imaging and spin echo imaging.

In routine clinical scans, spin echo imaging is typically preferred to gradient
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echo imaging because of higher signal to noise ratio and robustness to

magnetic field inhomogeneity. ( T2 rather than T2*)
Signal intensity of spin echo depends on recovery of longitudinal (T1)
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magnetization during TR and decay of transverse magnetization (T2) during

S( x, y)  S0( x, y)1  e
TE. TR / T1( x, y )  TE / T2 ( x, y )
e
 
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This resultant image has information about

𝑆0(𝑥, 𝑦) (proton density), 𝑇1(𝑥, 𝑦), 𝑇2(𝑥, 𝑦)
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How can we selectively emphasize one of the above three?


 Contrast Mechanism in
Spin Echo Imaging


 Contrast mechanism (1)
One of major advantages of MRI is the great soft tissue discrimination of the
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images.
The definition of image contrast is the difference in color (or signal) that
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makes an object distinguishable. (MR images are mostly displayed in gray

scale.)
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Intrinsic properties that determine the image contrast of MRI

A. T1 relaxation time : T1 relaxation depends on the energy exchange
between the hydrogen nuclei and the molecular tissue. (spin-lattice
relaxation)
B. T2 decay time : T2 decay depends on interactions among the adjacent spins.
(spin-spin relaxation)
C. Proton density : The signal increases with the number of hydrogen
protons per volume.


 Contrast mechanism (2)
z z z z z

90°
Long T1
(ex. GM)
y y y y y
x x x x x

z z z z z

90°
Short T1
(ex. WM)
y y y y y
x x x x x

Difference in T1 relaxation time can lead to the image contrast depending on TR.
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
 Contrast mechanism (3)
T1 relaxation T2 decay
Mz Mxy
1 WM 1

GM GM
WM
TR TE

For example, T1 and T2 relaxation times are different between brain gray
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and white matters.

 How can we maximize the signal difference between gray and white
matters in terms of T1 and T2 relaxation times?


 Contrast mechanism (4)
Several parameters affecting image contrast that can be manipulated by the operator.
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A. Repetition time (TR): Time interval between excitation RF pulses

B. Echo time (TE): Time interval between centers of excitation RF pulse and echo (ADC)
C. Flip angle

Excitation Echo acquisition Next excitation

z z z z z

Flip angle
··
·
y y y y y
x x x x x

Echo time (TE)

Repetition time (TR)


 Magnetization TR and TE

WM
Signal intensity
GM
GM
WM

TR TE

𝑇𝐸 𝑇𝑅
Signal intensity ∝ S0(x, y)exp(− )(1 − exp − )
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𝑇2(𝑥,𝑦) 𝑇1(𝑥,𝑦)

(𝑆0(𝑥, 𝑦) = the number of hydrogen protons)


 How do TE and TR affect the MR image? (1)
1. Long TR and long TE
Magnetization

WM
GM
GM
WM

TR TE
 Long TR : TR  23 times T1 of tissue of interest (e.g., GM or WM, 0.81.5 sec),
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complete T1 relaxation (no T1 contrast), better signal intensity, longer scan time

 Long TE : T2 decay to maximiz the signal difference between tissues of interest (GM
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and WM), T2 Contrast is maximized when 𝑇𝐸 = ~𝑇2 of tissues of interest (60100ms).

 Overall, T2 -weighted image

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
 How do TE and TR affect the MR image? (2)
2. Long TR and short TE
Magnetization

WM
GM
GM
WM

TR TE

 Long TR : TR  23 times T1 of tissue of interest (e.g., GM or WM, 0.81.5 sec),

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complete T1 relaxation (no T1 contrast), better signal intensity, longer scan time

 Short TE : Minimum possible TE to minimize the signal difference between tissues of

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interest (GM and WM), no T2 contrast.

 Overall, Proton density-weighted image

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
 How TE and TR affect MR image?
3. Short TR and short TE
Magnetization

WM

GM GM
WM

TR TE
 Short TR : T1 recovery to maximize the signal difference between tissues of interest
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(e.g., GM or WM), incomplete T1 relaxation, shorter scan time, The T1 contrast is

maximized when 𝑇𝑅 = 𝑇1 of tissues of interest (e.g. GM or WM, 0.81.5 sec).

 Short TE : Minimum possible TE to minimize the signal difference between tissues of

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interest (GM and WM), no T2 contrast.

 Overall, T1-weighted image

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
 Different Image Contrasts

TE
T2-weighting

T1-weighting PD-weighting

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PD-weighted images show overall hydrogen density.

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T2-weighted images are useful for detecting pathology in the brain.

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T1-weighted images are proper to show anatomy with high resolution.

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
 Contrast Mechanism in
Gradient Echo Imaging


 Equations for Gradient Echo Imaging
• Gradient echo imaging is often performed with a flip angle smaller than 90.
• After the first  pulse
M z (t )  M 0 cos( )e t /T1  M 0(1  e t /T1 )
• Assume TR >> T2 (transverse magnetization is zero at the moment of
a new  pulse.
• At the moment of the second  pulse,
M z (TR )  M 0 cos( )e TR /T  M 0(1  e TR /T )
1 1

• Magnetization just prior to the n-th  pulse,

M z (nTR )  M z ([n  1] TR ) cos( )e TR /T  M 0(1  e TR /T )
1 1

• Steady state means Mz(nTR)=Mz([n-1]TR)

M z ( nTR )  M z ( nTR ) cos( )e TR / T1  M 0 (1  e TR / T1 )
TR /T1 TR / T1
1 e 1 e TE / T2*
 
M z (0 )  M 0  S  S0 sin( )  e
TR /T1 TR / T1
1  cos( )e 1  cos( )e


 Equations for Gradient Echo Imaging
TR / T1( x, y )
1 e TE / T2* ( x, y )
S( x, y)  S0( x, y) sin(  )  e
TR / T1( x, y )
1  cos(  )e

• The above equation has information of

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S0(x,y) (proton density), T1(x,y), T2*(x,y)

• How can we selectively emphasize one of the above three?
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• What is the optimal flip angle  that maximizes S(x,y)?

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• What is the optimal TR when flip angle  is 90?

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
 Ernst Angle
TR / T1( x, y )
1 e TE / T2* ( x, y )
S( x, y)  S0( x, y) sin(  )  e
TR / T1( x, y )
1  cos(  )e
• What is the optimal TR when flip angle  is 90?
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A long TR that makes e-TR/T1 to be close to 0.

Typically TR of twice longer than T1 is used.
This long TR increases scan time significantly.

• What is the optimal flip angle  that maximizes S(x,y)?

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 Ernst  cos 1 (e TR / T ) 1

(Ernst angle)
 For a given shorter TR, there exists an optimal flip angle that maximizes
MR signals.
 Gradient echo imaging can be performed much faster with the shorter TR.


 Contrast in Gradient Echo Images
TR / T1( x, y )
1 e TE / T2* ( x, y )
S( x, y)  S0( x, y) sin(  )  e
TR / T1( x, y )
1  cos(  )e
 Proton density (PD) weighted imaging
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 Short TE (as short as possible) (no T2* contrast)

 Long TR (TR  23 times T1 of tissues) or small flip angle (<< Ernst angle) (no T1
contrast).
 T1 weighted imaging
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 Short TE (as short as possible) (no T2* contrast)

 Short TR (𝑇𝑅 = ~𝑇1 of tissues) or 𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 = ~𝐸𝑟𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 (T1 contrast).
 T2* weighted imaging
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∗
 Long TE (𝑇𝐸 = ~𝑇2 of tissues) (T2* contrast)
 Long TR (TR  23 times T1 of tissues) or small flip angle (<< Ernst angle) (no T1
contrast)


 Different Image Contrasts in Gradient Echo Imaging

TE
T2*-weighting

T1-weighting PD-weighting

TR or T1-weighting T2*-weighting PD-weighting

1/flip angle
PD-weighted images show overall hydrogen density.
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T2*-weighted images are useful for detecting veins and some pathologic
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conditions such as hemorrhage in the brain.

T1-weighted images are proper to show anatomy with high resolution.
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
 Field of View


 Sampling Theorem (1D)

ℎ(𝑥) 𝑆(𝑥) ℎ𝑆 𝑥 = ℎ 𝑥 ∙ 𝑆(𝑥)

… …
𝑥 𝑥 𝑥
𝑥 𝑥



Antialiasing filter
𝐻𝑆(𝑢) (Lowpass filter)
𝐻(𝑢)

… …
𝑢
… … 𝑢
𝑢
1/𝑥 fs=1/𝑥 fs=1/𝑥
Lowpass filter bandwidth (antialiasing filter bandwidth, receiver banwidth) and the
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sampling frequency (fs=1/𝑥) are different, but are typically considered the same in MRI.


 Sampling in MRI
MR imaging is a procedure that samples K-space. Analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
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performs the digitization of the signal, and the acquired data is stored in k-space.

𝑇 = 𝑁 ∙ ∆𝑇
T : sampling time for N points, N : number of sampling points, ∆T : sampling time per point
1
Sampling rate, 𝑓𝑠(= ), is defined as the rate at which the signal is sampled and
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∆𝑇
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digitized.
 Antialiasing filter in ADC  receiver bandwidth (rBW)= [-𝑓𝑠/2 , 𝑓𝑠/2]
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The total number of samples taken (N) is determined by the number of voxels desired in
the frequency-encoding direction. (typical range of N: 64  512)


 Field Of View (FOV) (1)
Frequency

Gradient
f/2
-FOV/2 FOV/2
0 rBW
Center X

-f/2
FOV

Receiver frequencies on one side of the readout direction can be considered

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positive and those on the other side negative frequencies.

High sampling rate  high rBW 

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a. steeper gradient
b. Large FOV


 Field Of View (FOV) (2)
Frequency

Gradient
f/2
-FOV/2 FOV/2
0 rBW
Center X

-f/2
FOV

When gradient is fixed, the sampling frequency (𝑓) determines the size of the
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image view along the readout direction (e.g., x-dreiction, 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 ).

𝐺𝑥 ∙ ∆𝑇
𝐺𝑥
𝑓 1
𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 = 𝑓𝑠 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 = =
𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 ∙ ∆𝑇
∆𝑇
(remember 𝑓𝑠 = 𝛾𝐵)
ො Sampling


 Field Of View (FOV) (3)
Sampling along the frequency encoding direction (𝑥) is accompanied by readout
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gradient, 𝐺𝑥 .
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The sampling frequency (𝑓𝑠 ) or the interval [-𝑓𝑠 /2, 𝑓𝑠 /2] determines the size of the
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image view along the readout direction (e.g., x-direction, 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 ).

𝑓𝑠 1
𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 = 𝑓𝑠 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 = =
𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝑇𝑠
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The denominator, 𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝑇𝑠 , represents a step ∆𝑢 (∆𝑘𝑥 ) in the horizontal axis of the k-
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space. 𝐺𝑥 ∙ ∆𝑇
1 1 𝐺𝑥
∆𝑢 = ∆𝑘𝑥 = 𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝑇𝑠 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 = =
∆𝑢 ∆𝑘𝑥
∆𝑇
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FOV in the frequency encoding direction is the inverse of the step size in the horizontal
direction of the k-space.


 Field Of View (FOV) (4)
Comparison between k-space and image
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𝐺𝑥 ∙ ∆𝑇
𝐺𝑥
K-space Image
FFT
∆𝑇

∆𝐾𝑥 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥


 Field Of View (FOV) (5)

Sampling along the y-direction is accompanied by phase encoding gradient,

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𝐺𝑦 .
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∆𝐴𝑦 : the step size in

∆𝑣phase
= ∆𝑘encode
ො gradient
= 𝛾∆𝐴 ො area
= 𝛾∆𝐺 𝑇
𝑦 𝑦 𝑦 𝑝

1 1 1
𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑦 = = =
𝛾∆𝐴
ො 𝑦 ∆𝑣 ∆𝑘𝑦
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FOV in the phase encoding direction is also the inverse of the step size in the
vertical direction of the k-space.


 Resolution


 Resolution (1)
In MRI, the k‐space covers only a finite region in the frequency domain.
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 MRI is a kind of a lowpass filter.

The spatial resolution along the frequency encoding(𝛿𝑥 ) and the phase encoding (𝛿𝑦 )
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are 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 1 1 1
𝛿𝑥 = = = =
𝑁𝑥 𝑁𝑥 𝛾𝐺
ො 𝑥 𝑇𝑠 𝑁𝑥 ∆𝑢 𝑁𝑥 ∆𝑘𝑥
𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑦 1 1 1
𝛿𝑦 = = = =
𝑁𝑦 𝑁𝑦 𝛾∆𝐴
ො 𝑦 𝑁𝑦 ∆𝑣 𝑁𝑦 ∆𝑘𝑦
The spatial resolution of an MR image is inverse of the maximum k‐space ranges (𝑁𝑥 ∙
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∆𝑘𝑥 , 𝑁𝑦 ∙ ∆𝑘𝑦 ).

K-space Image
FFT

1
𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥 ∆𝑥 =
𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥


 Resolution (2)
fs fs/2
Gx ∆𝐾𝑥 Gx 2 · ∆𝐾𝑥

𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥 2𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥

k-space

𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥
VS

2𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥

Image ∆𝑥
∆𝑥
2
𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 /2
𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥
Increasing the resolution, decreasing the FOV.
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
 Resolution (3)
2Gx fs
fs 2∆𝐾𝑥
Gx ∆𝐾𝑥

𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥 2𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥

k-space

𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥
VS

2𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥

Image ∆𝑥
∆𝑥 2
𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 /2
𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥
Increasing the resolution, decreasing the FOV.
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
 Resolution (4)
2f
Gx fs 2Gx ∆𝐾𝑥
∆𝐾𝑥

𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥

k-space

𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥
VS 𝐾𝑥 𝑚𝑎𝑥

Image
∆𝑥 ∆𝑥

𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥 𝐹𝑂𝑉𝑥

No change in the resolution, no change in the FOV.

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