Magnetic Field Variations Near Weak Magnetic Materials Studied by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques

Imaging based on magnetic resonance (MRI) for mapping and imaging of the weak magnetic materials placed into the homogenous magnetic field of an imager is proposed. Samples made of weak magnetic material were theoretically computed, constructed, and tested on an MRI 0.178 T permanent magnet imager. In laboratory experiments, a homogeneous phantom (reference medium)-a container filled with doped water-was used. The resultant image represents the magnetic field variations (MFV) in the homogeneous phantom. For detection, a carefully tailored gradient-echo (GRE) imaging method, susceptible to magnetic field homogeneities, was used. The first results showed the feasibility of the method and some of the possibilities offered in this field for material research.