Product Description

MRI from Picture to Proton presents the basics of MR practice and theory in a unique way: backwards! The subject is approached just as a new MR practitioner would encounter MRI: starting from the images, equipment and scanning protocols, rather than pages of physics theory. The reader is brought face-to-face with issues pertinent to practice immediately, filling in the theoretical background as their experience of scanning grows. Key ideas are introduced in an intuitive manner which is faithful to the underlying physics but avoids the need for difficult or distracting mathematics. Additional explanations for the more technically inquisitive are given in optional secondary text boxes. The new edition is fully up-dated to reflect the most recent advances, and includes a new chapter on parallel imaging. Informal in style and informed in content, written by recognized effective communicators of MR, this is an essential text for the student of MR.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25423 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-15
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 406 pages

Review
‘Finally there is a book that deals with all aspects of MR practice and theory in a format that will encourage those who are new to this area that they are not out of their depth. All in all I feel this is one of the best written and comprehensive MR texts available for those new to MRI as well as those with years of MR experience under their belts. Authors who are clearly passionate about MR have written this book and they wish to share this passion with the rest of us … the result is a book that I see being an essential piece of reference material to all MR practitioners.’ The British Journal of Radiology

‘We can find here replies to questions asked often by staff of MRI devices and by physician-referred patients to MR examinations. I am sure that especially radiologists - teachers and other experts lecturing in radiology will be enthusiastic about this outstanding book.’ Physician and Technology

‘… this is a well-written book with a casual syle that includes many excellent graphics and would be a useful addition to any MRI library.’ Review in Health Physics

‘This is an excellent and practical book. I thoroughly recommend it.’ Times Higher Educational Supplement

'At last, a book that sensibly explains the new MR techniques of the past few years. … I can say that I found this book well worthwhile, and believe many others will as well.' Doodies

'… I felt that this single volume book was very easy to read and gave the necessary information required to have a fairly firm grasp of MRI 'from theory to practice'.' Clinical Radiology

Synopsis
MRI from Picture to Proton presents the basics of MR practice and theory in a unique way: backwards! The subject is approached just as a new MR practitioner would encounter MRI: starting from the images, equipment and scanning protocols, rather than pages of physics theory. The reader is brought face-to-face with issues pertinent to practice immediately, filling in the theoretical background as their experience of scanning grows. Key ideas are introduced in an intuitive manner which is faithful to the underlying physics but avoids the need for difficult or distracting mathematics. Additional explanations for the more technically inquisitive are given in optional secondary text boxes. The new edition is fully up-dated to reflect the most recent advances, and includes a new chapter on parallel imaging. Informal in style and informed in content, written by recognized effective communicators of MR, this is an essential text for the student of MR.

About the Author
Donald McRobbie is Head of Radiological & MR Physics and Senior Lecturer in the Radiological Sciences Unit at Charing Cross Hospital, London.

Elizabeth Moore is Principal MR Physicist in the Lysholm Radiological Department of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, in London.

Martin Graves is Principal Clinical Scientist in MRI at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, and his research interests are in cardiovascular and abdominal MR imaging.

Martin Prince is Chief of MRI at New York Hospital and Professor of Radiology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is also Associate Editor of Radiology for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Customer Reviews

useful and current
I bought this to help my practice in reporting MRIs rather than to pass exams. It has proved a good buy and has demystified pulse sequences to a certain extent. I am particularly pleased that specific pulse sequences on both siemens and phillips scanners are explained.
I still am confused about spatial encoding and fourier transformation but i dont think any book can make these subjects understandable!!
I would reccomend this book to radiologists who are interested in learning what those numbers in the top corner of the film actually mean.

Thank heavens !
At last a book about MRI which I didn't want to put down and which actually made me laugh out loud!
It is the best book I have read as far as understanding MRI physics and principles goes and makes a dry subject bearable and understandable.
I would thoroughly recommend it and think it will soon be indispensable in MRI depts.

Bridget Jones does MRI!
This book is actually funny, the laughing type of funny. It's not just the Bridget Jones' style week in the life of an MR radiographer, but hidden in the text are various one-liners - like the bit about taking off you watch and emptying your pockets when you visit CT! As well as lightening the subject the humour shows that the authors are not merely remote academics (it is a book primarily about MR physics) but real hands-on MR practitioners and excellent communicators.

So how hard is the physics? Well you have to read far into the book to get any. That's because it's written in a "back-to-front" manner. This ingenious trick enables the reader to become familiar with scanners, scanning and images without having to get bogged down with those bothersome protons and flipping and the like. Eventually the basic physics is introduced but by this time you are so well grounded in the practical aspects of MR - the pictures bit - that you are better equipped to handle the protons.

Another clever idea is having a main text, which is exceptionally easy to read, and optional advanced boxes (printed in a different colour). This makes the book accessible as a basic introductory text and also for more advanced students. It is possible however to learn almost all you need to know without reading the advanced blue bits (well at least I did). All the maths is in the advanced boxes -there are no equations in the main text (thankfully). Also, very handy for exams and interviews, each chapter starts with a summary of what you need to know from that chapter before it delves into the whys and wherefores.

So what does it cover? All the basics: scanners and the scanning suite, safety, basic clinical protocols, image contrast, pixels and matrices, image optimisation, artefacts and how to avoid them, image formation, resonance and relaxation, contrast agents, equipment and bioeffects. That's part A, the bit you can read backwards (and you really can). Part B consists of more specialist topics including all those difficult to remember sequences, angio, cardiac, spectroscopy and a useful chapter on QA. Finally chapter 16 includes EPI, functional, perfusion and diffusion, hyperpolarised gases and parallel imaging (SENSE and SMASH).

MRI from Picture to Proton contains probably more than any one MR professional needs to know but it's hard to imagine why you would need any other MR physics book ever. It's very easy to read, beautifully produced (2 colours on every page and a full colour section) with loads of images and very clear diagrams and in paperback (a hardback version is also available) at £34.95 it's not too expensive. I loved it. They should make it into a movie.