2D-RF-pulse-encoded curved-slice imaging.

A new approach to curved-slice imaging is described in which spatial resolution is achieved using 2D-RF-pulse- and conventional-frequency encoding. This approach offers the opportunity to image curved anatomical structures directly using curved single-slice MRI. A set of 2D-RF pulses is employed to excite transverse magnetization in an arbitrarily shaped curved-slice profile in three-dimensional space. Spatial resolution along the curved-slice direction is achieved by encoding the different volume elements of the slice using a set of specially designed RF pulses and an appropriate encoding scheme. The remaining spatial direction is measured using conventional-frequency encoding. Phantom and in vivo experiments were carried out to illustrate the basic feasibility and the limitations of this approach.