Clinical efficiency of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.

Advances in imaging technique have improved the efficiency of clinical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging, and will allow total patient examination time that equals or is more favorable than that of x-ray computed tomography (CT). The whole head can be examined with NMR in a 6.5-minute imaging time with a spatial resolution of 1.7 mm. Fifteen sections in the body can be similarly imaged. Quantitative T2 ("spin-spin" relaxation time) information, as well as estimates of T1 ("spin-lattice" relaxation time) can be obtained in this time. Quantitative T1 information requires an additional procedure.