Super-Resolution MRI Using Microscopic Spatial Modulation of Magnetization

A new super-resolution method is presented to overcome limitations of spatial resolution in MRI. In contrast to previous attempts that are based on simple field of view shifts, the new method additionally modulates the longitudinal magnetization within the imaging plane for each shift, allowing the acquisition of new and independent k-space data. With this approach, resolution improvements in up to three dimensions are possible, and the total acquisition time linearly scales with the improvement factor for each dimension. First super-resolution experiments in a geometric phantom and in brain tissue of two healthy volunteers clearly demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of this new method, which has the capability to extend current resolution limits in MRI. Magn Reson Med 64:1671-1675, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.