Principles of NMR spectroscopy and imaging will be combined to introduce spectroscopic information into whole body imaging. This will be done for protons (hydrogen) and phosphorus. Chemical shift information can increase contrast greatly in proton images showing lesions not seen without it. When both conventional and spectroscopic proton images show a lesion, spectroscopy always provides chemical information which is not present in the conventional image. Morphology of some tissues such as kidney and CSF may be better shown using new chemical shift weighted gray scales. Spectroscopy allows correction of troublesome artifacts caused by chemical shift differences. In phosphorus imaging these artifacts will be so severe spectroscopy may be a necessity not an enhancement. We have already developed limited fat versus water spectroscopic imaging capability at 0.35 Tesla. This will be extended to higher fields and other substances will be targeted. The method of determining pixel phase from phantom images will be developed. The laborious manipulations currently necessary will be automated. Phosphorus experiments will be attempted after they have been simulated by proton imaging on special phantoms with multi-line spectra and by numerical simultaion. Coils must be built for all phosphorus work and new coils should enhance proton images of the breast and eye.
| Dixon, W T; Brummer, M E; Malko, J A (1988) Acquisition order and motional artifact reduction in spin warp images. Magn Reson Med 6:74-83 |
