Principles and applications of FLASH NMR imaging

Abstract

Routine clinical NMR scanners apply low-flip-angle gradient-echo sequences as fast-imaging modalities. Fast low-angle shot (FLASH) NMR imaging is the first version of a large family of fast gradient-echo methods. It is based on the application of reduced flip angles for NMR excitation, the acquisition of magnetic field gradient echoes, and considerably shortened repetition times. Under these conditions, transverse magnetization survives. This magnetization can be destroyed in “spoiled FLASH” or used for imaging in “refocused FLASH.” The measuring time of FLASH NMR images is dependent on gradient hardware and is under optimal technical conditions user selectable between less than 100 ms and 1 s. Short imaging times give the possibility to apply magnetization preparation before imaging. This technique allows the acquisition of image contrast with respect to any selected parameter, e.g.T ₁ T ₂, or diffusion constant. This FLASH version has been called “snapshot”-, “turbo”-, or magnetization-prepared RAGE.