Variable bandwidth multiecho NMR imaging

Claim 1

A method for acquiring NMR data from nuclei in a region of interest, the steps comprising: applying a polarizing magnetic field in the region of interest; applying an RF excitation field pulse to the nuclei in the region of interest to produce transverse magnetization; refocusing the transverse magnetization at a time TE 1 after the application of the RF excitation field pulse to produce a first NMR echo signal; acquiring the first NMR echo signal in the presence of a read-out magnetic field gradient with a receiver and limiting the frequency bandwidth of the received first NMR echo signal to a first value; refocusing the transverse magnetization at a time TE 2 after the application of the RF excitation field pulse to produce a second NMR echo signal; and acquiring the second NMR echo signal in the presence of a reduced read-out magnetic field gradient with the receiver and limiting the frequency bandwidth of the received second NMR echo signal to a second value which is less than the first value by increasing the duration of the acquisition of the second NMR echo signal and decreasing the rate at which the second NMR echo signal is sampled and digitized such that the signal-to-noise ratio of the received second NMR echo signal is increased, and wherein the first NMR echo signal is oversampled to acquire signals outside the region of interest in the direction of the read-out magnetic field gradient.

Claim 2

A method for acquiring NMR data from nuclei in a region of interest, the steps comprising: applying a polarizing magnetic field in the region of interest; applying an RF excitation field pulse to the nuclei in the region of interest to produce transverse magnetization; refocusing the transverse magnetization at a time TE 1 after the application of the RF excitation field pulse to produce a first NMR echo signal; acquiring the first NMR echo signal in the presence of a read-out magnetic field gradient with a receiver and limiting the frequency bandwidth of the received first NMR echo signal to a first value; refocusing the transverse magnetization at a time TE 2 after the application of the RF excitation field pulse to produce a second NMR echo signal; and acquiring the second NMR echo signal in the presence of a reduced read-out magnetic field gradient with the receiver and limiting the frequency bandwidth of the received second NMR echo signal to a second value which is less than the first value by increasing the duration of the acquisition of the second NMR echo signal and decreasing the rate at which the second NMR echo signal is sampled and digitized such that the signal-to-noise ratio of the received second NMR echo signal is increased, and wherein the first NMR echo signal is oversampled to acquire signals outside the region of interest in the direction of the read-out magnetic field gradient.