Abstract: The invention provides a method for performing magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, which exploits prior knowledge of the interactions between electromagnetic fields and spins in the sampled object. This technique is able to provide shorter acquisition times with respect to traditional (Nyquist-Shannon limited) MRI. The method is based on an encoding matrix formalism constructed from the specific knowledge of how every spin would evolve in time depending on their position for a given pulse sequence. This particular previous knowledge has not been fully exploited previously by traditional MRI techniques. Moreover, the method of the invention can be used in combination with other schemes, such as compressed sensing, parallel imaging, or deep learning, for further shortening the MRI scan time.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for performing magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, which exploits prior knowledge of the interactions between electromagnetic fields and spins in the sampled object. This technique is able to provide shorter acquisition times with respect to traditional (Nyquist-Shannon limited) MRI. The method is based on an encoding matrix formalism constructed from the specific knowledge of how every spin would evolve in time depending on their position for a given pulse sequence. This particular previous knowledge has not been fully exploited previously by traditional MRI techniques. Moreover, the method of the invention can be used in combination with other schemes, such as compressed sensing, parallel imaging, or deep learning, for further shortening the MRI scan time.

Abstract: A novel radio frequency sequence, suitable for performing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of 2-dimensional (2D) slices of samples exhibiting short magnetization coherence times (i.e., hard tissues). The SS-ZTE pulse sequence contains the following steps: a) magnetizing all spins in the sample from a longitudinal direction to the transverse plane; b) exciting the 2D slice of interest, which comprises the selective locking of said 2D sample slice magnetization while spoiling the magnetization in the rest of sample volume; c) making the magnetization of the selected 2D slice impervious to reconfigurations of the magnetic field gradients from slice selection to encoding and readout; d) reading out of the free induction decay signal of the sample; e) repeating steps (a-d) with different readout directions, so as to gather a corresponding number of radial spokes of the plane defined by the 2D sample slice.