Designed to meet the needs of all who play a role in the MR imaging process, this book first develops the very important concepts of the physical principles on which MR imaging is based and then builds an understanding of the various methods and techniques that are at the heart of each imaging procedure. It gives special emphasis to image quality and the associated issues of optimizing protocols. Safety concerns are addressed in order to have an informed staff who can take a realistic approach to reducing risk and increasing patient comfort and acceptance. People who know how to apply various imaging options to the wide range of clinical needs will continue to be a vital link in the total MR imaging process: the objective of this book is to help them obtain maximum performance and benefit from the sophisticated MR technology that is available today.

The effective use of any medical imaging modality and the interpretation of images requires some understanding of the physical principles of the image formation process. This is because the ability to visualize specific anatomical structures or pathologic conditions depends on the inherent characteristics of a particular modality and the set of imaging factors selected by the user. The relationship between visibility and imaging factors is rather complex and often involves compromises and trade-offs among the different aspects of image quality. All imaging methods deposit some form of energy in the patient's body. This is not always without risk. Radiation exposure is usually a variable factor and often has an effect on image quality. An optimized image procedure is one in which these two factors- image quality and radiation exposure-are properly balanced. This book provides the physics and scientific knowledge that enables the physician to make appropriate technical decisions in all phases of the imaging process. It is written primarily for the physicians studying in a radiology residency program and is also a useful reference for the practicing radiologist who is often faced with day-to-day decisions concerning imaging equipment, procedures, and patient safety. This text contains much of the material from the author's previous books: The Physical Principles of Diagnostic Radiology, The Physics and Instrumentation of Nuclear Medicine, and the first edition of Physical Principles of Medical Imaging and it has been updated and supplemented especially in the areas of ultrasound, emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The selection of topics and presentation of concepts is based on the physics component of the radiology residency program at Emory University. It assumes no previous knowledge of physics but rather a sincere desire on the part of the reader to understand the physical principles of the medical imaging profession.