Main description:

This book is not intended as a general text on MRI. It is written as an intro duction to the field, for nonexperts. We present here a simple exposition of certain aspects of MRI that are important to understand to use this valuable diagnostic tool intelligently in a clinical setting. The basic principles are presented nonmathematically, using no equations and a minimum of symbols and abbreviations. For those requiring a deeper understanding of MRI, this book will help facilitate the transition to standard texts. Chapters 1 through 4 provide a general introduction to the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance and how it is used in imaging. Chapter 1 discus ses magnetic resonance, using a compass needle as an example. In Chapter 2, the transition to the magnetic resonance of the atomic nucleus is made. Chapter 3 describes the principles of imaging. In Chapter 4, the terms T 1 and T 2 are described and their relationship to tissue characterization; the fun damental role of thermal magnetic noise in T 1 and T 2 is discussed.

Contents:

Introduction: Diagnostic Probes.- 1: Magnetic Resonance: A Familiar Example.- 2: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.- 3: Imaging.- 4: Tissue Characterization: T1 and T2.- 5: Tissue Characterization and Pulse Sequencing.- 6: The MRI Scanner.- 7: Advantages and Limitations of CT.- 8: Advantages and Limitations of MRI.- 9: The Future of MRI.- Appendix: An Introduction to Quantum Process in MRI.