MRI data acquisition and image reconstruction from multiple, non-interacting receiver coils

A previously published acquisition and reconstruction method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which allows for a reduction in the number of phase encoding acquisitions in an imaging sequence without reducing either resolution or field of view is described. Two (or more) noninteracting receiver coils simultaneously detect signals from the same tissue, and data from each of the receiver channels are separately recorded. An imaging sequence uses phase encoded echoes in the usual sense, but the reconstruction effectively calculates multiple Fourier projections of the tissue from one echo. An implementation with two receiver coils can reduce the number of needed phase encoded acquisitions by 50%. The reconstruction algorithm is analyzed, the signal-to-noise ratio is calculated, and artifacts are discussed. The technique has not yet been implementated