K SPACE

-DR. AKSHAY SATAI

• It actually means “spatial frequency ”

• Image resolution is often described in terms of "line pairs

per mm," the closest spacing of black and white bars that
can be resolved.

• Since a pair of lines are like crests and peaks of adjacent

waves, line pairs per mm is a measure of spatial frequency.
• Image can be decomposed into planar waves varying in
amplitude, frequency, phase and direction.

• Spatial frequency is the number of wave cycle (or line

pairs) per unit distance.
• The concept is simple. A wave is characterized by its
wavelength (λ), the distance between two corresponding
points or successive peaks.

• The wave number (k) is simply the reciprocal of the

wavelength, given by the expression k = 1 / λ

• The wave number (k) is therefore the number of waves or

cycles per unit distance.

• Since the wavelength is measured in units of distance, the

units for wave number are (1/distance), such as 1/m,
1/cm or 1/mm.
The k-space representation of an MR image is merely an
organized collection of these spatial frequencies reflecting
that image's spatial harmonic content.
• So what exactly is K SPACE??

• K SPACE is the space in which MRI imaging data is

acquired .
• In MRI physics K space is the 2D or 3D transform of the
mystery of the image.

• Unit is rad/m.

• Its coz spatial frequency is represented as a phase change

over distance along a gradient.

• Spatial frequency measures the change of phase between

the magnetic moments of a row of spins along the
gradient.
• What is there in K Space.

• Its imaginary.

-Still storage device stores digitized data

produced from spatial frequencies created from spatial
encoding.
Its rectangular Has two axes perpendicular to each other.

1.Frequency axis
a. Horizontal
b. Centered in the middle of several horizontal lines
c. Data from frequency encoding are positioned in k space
along this axis.
2.Phase axis

a. Vertical
b. Centered in the middle of K space perpendicular to
the frequency axis.
c. Data from phase encoding are placed in k space along
this axis.
So how is K Space filled???

In simplest method of K space filling, data are stored in

horizontal lines that are parallel to the frequency axis and
perpendicular to the phase axis of K Space.
Each k-space point contains spatial frequency and
phase information about every pixel in the final image.

Conversely, each pixel in the image maps to every point

in k-space.

Its important to know that there is not a one to one

relationship between image and k space.

Each individual point on image space depends on all of

the points contained in k space.
K Space is NOT IMAGE.

Data stored in the top line do not end up being the top
of the image.
 Important facts about K Space

K space is not an image.

Data are symmetrical in the K Space

Data acquired in the central lines contribute signal and

contrast, while data acquired in the outer lines
contribute resolution.
 Types of acquisition
There are three types of acquisition of data
1) Sequential- it acquiries all the data from slice1 and then go on to
acquire all the data from slice 2(all the lines in K Space are filled for
slice 1 and then all the lines of K Space are filled for slice 2,etc.).The
slice are so displayed as acquired(not likely as CT)
2) 2D Volumetric acquisition: fill one line of K Space for slice 1 , and
then go on to fill the same line of K space for slice 2,etc. When this line
has been filled for all the slices, the next line of K Space is filled for slice
1,2,3,etc. This is the most common type of data acquisition. 3) 3D
Volumetric
 Fourier transform
The Fourier transform is a mathematical technique that allows an MR
signal to be decomposed into a sum of sine waves of different
frequencies, phases, and amplitudes.
Fourier transformation is the mathematical procedure
connecting s(t) and S(ω).

If s(t) is specified, S(ω) may be computed, and vice versa.

Lets know that Fast Fourier Transform(FFT) and Fourier
Transform(FT) is same.

GRADIENTS SPATIALLY LOCATE SIGNAL ACCORDING TO

THEIR FREQUENCY,NOT THEIR DOMAIN so FFT converts
time domain to frequency amplitudes in the frequency
domain.
 To summarize

The central portion of K Space contains data that have high

signal amplitude and low resolution.

The outer portion of K Space contains data that have low

signal amplitude and high resolution
THANK YOU