Magnetic resonance imaging with stepped B(0) fields

This paper introduces the concept of imaging with stepped magnetic fields within the main B(0) field. The resonance frequency within each step is separated from the next by an amount greater than the imaging bandwidth. Each step thus gives rise to a separate imaging region enabling simultaneous imaging over multiple slices without aliasing. The auxiliary magnetic field regions are produced by coil inserts. The principle is illustrated using simple coil designs which introduce up to two steps into the main B(0) field. Phantoms placed in each uniform region were successfully imaged simultaneously with no aliasing.