A New Cascade-Regularized Spatial Encoding Technique Using Non-Linear Field Disturbance of Susceptibility Markers

Hirad Karimi¹, William Dominguez-Viqueira², Charles H. Cunningham¹, ²

Conventional linear gradient fields generated using gradient coils usually perform spatial encoding in MRI. These coils are stationary relative to any physiological movements and this ultimately limits the spatial resolution. Some applications such as intravascular MR imaging (iMRI) could benefit from the high-resolution images that could result from new approaches. Here, a new encoding technique that allows encoding fields to move with physiological structures is investigated. The method uses only the field perturbations emanating from markers with different susceptibilities as the encoding fields. (The gradient coils on scanner are not used). Simulations and phantom studies were conducted to further validate the result.