Magnetic resonance imaging: the basic physical and clinical concepts. Part I

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Background:

• Noninvasive diagnostic tools are crucial for disease evaluation.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has emerged as a significant advancement in medical imaging.
• MRI utilizes powerful chemical analytic techniques for medical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the fundamental principles of MRI.
• To explain the concepts of energy transmission and reception in MRI.
• To discuss the underlying physics of spin resonance.

Main Methods:

• Explanation of the physical principles of spin resonance (Part I).
• Examination of spin relaxation phenomena (Part II).
• Discussion of pulse sequences in MRI (Part III).

Main Results:

• The article lays the groundwork for understanding MRI physics.
• It details the core concepts of energy interaction with tissues.
• It introduces the physics of spin behavior relevant to imaging.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the fundamental principles of MRI is key to its application in medicine.
• The series provides a foundational understanding of MRI physics.
• Further details on physics are available through a selected bibliography.