Centric scan SPRITE magnetic resonance imaging

Two rapid, pure phase encode, centric scan, Single Point Ramped Imaging with T-1-Enhancement (SPRITE) MRI methods are described. Each retains the benefits of the standard SPRITE method, most notably the ability to image short T-2* systems, while increasing the sensitivity and generality of the technique. The Spiral-SPRITE method utilizes a modified Archimedean spiral k-space trajectory. The Conical-SPRITE method utilizes a system of spirals mapped to conical surfaces to sample the k-space cube. The sampled k-space points are naturally Cartesian grid points, eliminating the requirement of a re-gridding procedure prior to image reconstruction. The effects of transient state behaviour on image resolution and signal/noise are explored. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.