An NMR imaging process utilizes application of both a driven equilibrium
technique and a fast-spin echo technique to acquire image. The fast-spin
echo technique is a multiecho NMR imaging sequence, where different
echoes are encoded differently to fill the (k.sub.x, k.sub.g) space at a
speed of 1/n of the single echo speed, where n is the number of echoes in
the multiecho sequence. During this echo train, a 90-degree RF pulse
applied with proper phase at the center of any echo turns the
magnetization back in the direction of the static magnetic field. Within
a short waiting time after the 90-degree RF pulse, the spins are ready to
be excited again. The multi-echo sequence has one 90-degree RF pulse at
the beginning, followed by a series of n 180-degree RF pulses, followed
by n echoes. A second 90-degree RF pulse is turned on exactly at the
center of the nth echo, which returns all the magnetization left at this
time to the static field direction. Only one frequency is used for
excitation in acquiring the NMR signal in the single slice mode.
Gradients are adjusted for oblique scanning. In the multislice
acquisition mode, RF phases of different slices are different from one
another and the final images can be constructed either by sharing the kg
space or by using a transform process to separate the slices.