Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and imaging method
 The MRI apparatus of the present invention performs a pulse sequence for applying successively 180.degree. pulses 102, 103 . . . after application of a 90.degree. pulse 101 at constant intervals and applying readout magnetic fields 111 during the interval between pairs of 180.degree. pulses while the polarity of the magnetic field 111 is inverted several times to collect a plurality of gradient echo signals that are phase encoded differently. Here, the application of the readout gradient magnetic field is controlled such that generation of the gradient echo signals does ot coincide with generation of the spin echo signal. The image reconstruction is performed by using only T2* weighted gradient echo signals to obtain images reflecting difference in magnetic susceptibility and inhomogeneities in local magnetic fields. 
Hitachi Medical Corporation
G G
G01R G01R
additional inventional
Tetsuhiko Shigeru
Takahashi Watanabe