Pulse Sequence

Part 2

Dr. Abdullah Jamea •

- Gradient echo sequences (GRE) or Fast Field
Echo (FFE) are a class of imaging techniques that
do no use a 180o pulse to refocus the spins.
- The echo signal in GRE is generated only through
gradient reversal in response to a magnetic
field gradient pulse.

- Gradient echo sequences use short RF pulse flip

angles so that the TR and therefore the scan time
can be reduced without producing saturation.

Physical Basis of MRI

- The frequency-encoding gradient is used to
rephase the FID signal because it is quicker to
apply than a 180o pulse and therefore the minimum
TE can be reduced.
- There are different types of GRE methods in clinical
use. Each of those methods relies on using a
reduced flip angle to enhance signal with short TR.
- The techniques differ by relatively small alterations
produce dramatic changes in image contrast.

Physical Basis of MRI

- The signal in a GRE arises from either or both of
the tissue magnetization components.

- Part of the signal can be produced by tipping the

longitudinal magnetisation Mz, and part from the
steady state (transverse magnetisation Mxy).

- These tow parts can be separated by appropriate

manipulations of the pulse sequence.

Physical Basis of MRI

- The gradient echo pulse sequences and accordingly
the type of contrast they produce are classified
according to which part of the tissue magnetization
they use.
- These techniques are:
- spoiled gradient echo (longitudinal component).
- Steady state FLASH sequence (mixed component).
- Steady state free precession (transverse component).

Physical Basis of MRI

 Spoiled gradient echo:
-The simplest gradient echo sequence is a spoiled
gradient echo SPGR sequence. It is also known as
FLASH (fast low angle shot) sequence.
-The signal in spoiled gradient echo images depends
solely on the longitudinal component of the tissue
magnetisation.
-This sequence uses a spoiling scheme, to dephase the
transverse magnetisation following signal detection.
-As a result, only longitudinal magnetisation
contributes to M at a time of the next RF pulse.
Physical Basis of MRI
Spoiled gradient echo:
-The spoiled gradient echo technique may be useful
for imaging the liver or chest, since each image can
be acquired during a few seconds of breath holding.
-A TR values of 25 to 80 ms usually producing good-
quality images.

Physical Basis of MRI

Steady state GRE sequence :
-the signal on steady state GRE images represents a
mixed contribution from both the longitudinal and
transverse components of the tissue magnetisation.
-These sequences have an additional gradient pulse
placed at the end of the pulse sequence.
- This additional gradient pulse, called a rewinder.
- The rewinder gradient serves to eliminate dephasing
effects from phase encoding and enhances the
persistence of the transverse magnetisation.
Physical Basis of MRI
 Steady state GRE sequence :
-There is a subset of study state GRE methods which
produce signals that depends primarily on the
transverse component of tissue magnetisation and
accordingly produce peter T2 contrast.
- If the second signal only is measured, a T2 weighted
images results and accordingly tissue contrast is no
longer disturbed by the effects of the signal from the
longitudinal component.

Physical Basis of MRI

 T2* decay
occurs between the dephasing and the •
rephasing gradients
rephasing incompletely recovers the signal •
signal loss is greater with longer TEs •
decay generates image contrast •
 T2* decay
T2* decay is always faster than T2 decay •
gradient echo imaging cannot recover •
signal losses from
magnetic field inhomogeneity –
magnetic susceptibility –
water-fat incoherence –
 T2 and T2* Relaxation
T2* relaxation influences contrast in •
gradient echo imaging
T2 relaxation influences contrast in spin •
echo imaging
Gradient Echo
advantages
faster imaging •
can use shorter TR and shorter TEs than –
SE
low flip angle deposits less energy •
more slices per TR than SE –
decreases SAR –
compatible with 3D acquisitions •
Gradient Echo
disadvantages
difficult to generate good T2 weighting •
magnetic field inhomogeneities cause •
signal loss
worse with increasing TE times –
susceptibility effects –
dephasing of water and fat protons –
 Gradient Echo
changing TE
TE 9 TE 30
FA 30 FA 30

susceptibility effect T2* weighting

Gradient Echo
magnetic susceptibility

post-surgical change
“blooming” artifact
-As in fast spin echo, the scan time can be significantly
reduced by filling out more than one line of space at a time.
The fastest scan time achievable is one that fills all lines of
space at once.
-This concept forms the basis of echo planar imaging (EPI).
-In EPI the 180o RF pulses used in FSE are replaced with
gradient rephasing.
-In order to fill out the space in one repetition, the read out
gradient has to be reversed from positive to negative and
back to positive again extremely rapidly.

Physical Basis of MRI

-All the signals must be encoded before the transverse
magnetisation has decayed to zero, this is achieved by
placing a 180o rephasing pulse prior to the data acquisition.
-Due to the extremely short scan times of EPI, images can
be acquired in under a second (30-150 ms).
-EPI is useful to freeze physical motion, which allow
improve abdominal, cardiac and Brain functional imaging.
-EPI requires a special hardware and software to handle the
increased acquisition demands such as powerful gradient.
-Severe chemical-shift artifacts and magnetic susceptibility
artifacts, therfor require good fat saturation.

Physical Basis of MRI

-Diffusion weighted imaging utilize pulse sequences
sensitive to microscopic movement of water that
produce random distribution of phase shifts which
reduce signal amplitude.
-Single shot EPI effectively freezes bulk motion so that
the quantitative diffusion imaging is feasible.
- Diffusion imaging are obtained through subtraction of
a regular gradient pulse image from the additional
gradient pulsed images.
-DWI can effectively identify ischemic regions in the
brain within 12 hours of symptom onset.

Physical Basis of MRI

 T2 FLAIR DWI

MR Images of 77-Year-Old Man Who Had Acute

Stroke 3 or 4 Hours before MR Examination
 Diffusion Weighted Imaging
Sequences
l= 2 Dt

2
− D⋅γ 2G2T 3
3
S = Soe

Externally Applied Externally Applied

Spatial Gradient G Spatial Gradient -G
T
0 2T
Time
b = 0 sec/mm² b = 300 sec/mm² b = 1200 sec/mm²

Axial multishot echo-planar images (800/123) (TR [msec]/TE

[msec]), obtained with one signal acquisition, a section thickness
of 6 mm, and three different diffusion gradients in the x-sensitizing
direction (b values): (1) 0 sec/mm², (2) 300 sec/mm², (3) 1,200
sec/mm². The high signal intensity of CSF in 1 is suppressed in 3
by the strong diffusion gradient.
-The signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images also
depends on the spin density, T1, T2, TR, and TE. To eliminate
these influences and obtain pure diffusion information, we can
calculate diffusion coefficient maps.
-A diffusion map (ADC image) can be calculated by combining
at least two diffusion-weighted images that are differently
sensitized to diffusion but remain identical with respect to the
other parameters, spin density, T1, T2, TR, and TE.
-By using, for instance, the image S0 without diffusion
weighting (b=0) and one diffusion-weighted image (b > 0), we
can calculate a D value for each pixel with the equation:

D = 1/b ln S/S0
A parametric image containing these data is called a diffusion
map or apparent diffusion map (ADC).
Determination of fMRI Using
the Directionality of Diffusion
Tensor