Physics of magnetic resonance

Abstract

The magnetic resonance technique has had a major impact on medical imaging. Unlike x-ray imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not use ionizing radiation. It uses a strong external magnetic field provided by a superconducting magnet and radiofrequency radiation to generate tomographic images in any plane. The contrast between different tissues is based upon multiple factors that can be explained in terms of the magnetic properties of matter. The tissue contrast provided by MRI is superior to that of any other imaging technique. This paper provides a brief introduction to the underlying physical principles of clinical MRI. The basic concepts of T1, T2 and image generation are discussed for spin echo pulse sequences.