ABSTRACT
Of all major imaging modalities, the physical origin of the magnetic resonance (MR) signal is quite possibly the least intuitive to comprehend. In brief, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) forms a ‘‘map’’ or ‘‘image’’ of the body’s water content. Fortunately for the modality, the body is composed of approximately 70% water, thus the ‘‘raw material’’ of MRI is naturally abundant. However, the body does not spontaneously generate an MRI signal, and an elaborate and complex configuration of equipment is required to access this rich signal source. In this chapter, the physical principles of MRI will be addressed in three distinct sections:
the signal source, image formation, cardiovascular imaging.
