A major limitation of MR is its rather low imaging speed compared, for example, to ultra sound, optical imaging or computerized tomography. However, imaging speed is one of the key factors if rapid changes need to be captured at a high spatial and temporal resolution. Examples are cardiac imaging to resolve the 3D beating heart at a high temporal and spatial scale during single breath hold, or time resolved imaging of the flow patterns of the entire arterial system in the brain to assess potential risks of stenosis, to name just a few. SpreadMRI investigates two novel and general concepts that aim to boost imaging speed by another factor of 2 to 10 compared to existing methods. The proposed techniques and concepts will open a huge variety of novel application of MR, both in the field of basic research and clinical routine applications. These concepts, have the potential to impact the field of MR that is comparable to the introduction of parallel imaging some two decades ago. SpreadMRI applies a spectral spin modulation that so far has not been employed in MR imaging, located between the kHz range of switched gradients and the hundreds of MHz range of the Larmor frequency. SpreadMRI is based on the rapid dynamic (up to MHz) and local modulation of magnetic fields produced by current loops (B0) and/or radio frequency loops (B1). These fields are modulated dynamically during signal acquisition to imprint local and distinct signal characteristics into the spin arrangement, which can be interpreted as a unique fingerprint onto confined regions within the object. Ultra-rapid imaging with SpreadMRI will allow investigating physiological and functional processes of living tissue with hitherto unrivalled temporal and spatial resolution, and will substantially change the landscape of fast MR imaging (and spectroscopy). The possibility to capture high spatially resolved dynamic information and the specific approach to encode MR signals with SpreadMRI will lead to major changes in the hardware and software environment of current MR-scanners. It includes a rich variety of challenges and developments, which will not only provide new insight within the areas covered by the proposal, but will definitely benefit conventional diagnostic MRI.
