Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus using a transverse magnet system (29) and having a patient handling arrangement (31, 33) which allows transport of a patient into the magnet system by first moving the patient in a direction (A) at right angles to the head-to-toe axis (B) of the patient. The patient's position in the magnet system may then be adjusted by movement in the head-to-toe axis direction. The area required to accommodate the apparatus is reduced compared with apparatus wherein patient transport is effected solely in the patient's head-to-toe axis direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the spatial distribution of the chemical shift spectra of a chosen element across a region of a body. Where the region is a slice, nuclear magnetic resonance for the element is excited preferentially in the slice. First and second pulsed magnetic gradient fields (Gx, Gy) having magnetic field gradients in first and second mutually orthogonal directions in the plane of the slice are applied. The value of the gradient of the first field is stepped through a range of first values, for each of the first values the gradient of the second field being stepped through a range of second values.