NMR imaging method

Claim 1

A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging method for obtaining images of a slice of a body placed in an inspection zone to which a static magnetic field is applied, by using a system providing two-dimensional Fourier imaging which includes steps (i) to (v) of: (i) exciting nuclear spins in said slice, (ii) applying a phase encoding gradient magnetic field along a first direction, (iii) obtaining data of an echo of said excited spins generated during existence of a reading gradient magnetic field along a second direction by phase sensitive detection on a signal of said echo using a reference signal, filtering of the detected signal, and discrete sampling of the filtered signal, (iv) repeating said steps (i) to (ii) while changing a time-intensity product of said phase encoding gradient magnetic field in a stepwise manner, and (v) reconstructing an image from data obtained through repetition of said steps, said imaging method further comprising steps of; (a) designating the size and positions along said first and second directions of a local region to be precisely inspected within said inspection zone; (b) calculating machine parameters of said system so that said echo reflects nuclear spins only in said local region, the change amount of the time-intensity product of said phase encoding gradient magnetic field corresponding to the width of said local region along said first direction and the frequency of said reference signal corresponding to the position of said local region along said second direction; (c) effecting said two-dimensional Fourier iamging by said system with the calculated machine parameters; and (d) completing a cross-sectional image of said local region by separating an image, which is obtained at said step (c), by a separating line along said second direction to obtain separated images and, by exchanging the positions of the separated images.