ABMP MRI Physics study guide
ABMP MRI Physics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABMP MRI Physics examination is a professional certification exam for medical physicists and related scientists who specialize in magnetic resonance imaging. It assesses the physics knowledge required to practice safely and effectively in clinical and research MRI settings. The ABMP MRI Physics study guide has 9 sections and about 1,835 words.
01Basic MR Physics and Nuclear Magnetism
Every MR signal begins with nuclear spin. Nuclei with an odd number of protons or neutrons (¹H, ¹³C, ²³Na, ³¹P) possess a net spin angular momentum and a magnetic moment.
289 words, about 1 min02Relaxation, Contrast Mechanisms, and Pulse Sequence Timing
Contrast is engineered by timing. After excitation, M xy decays with T₂ (and T₂ ), while M z recovers with T₁.
221 words, about 1 min03Spatial Encoding, Gradients, and Image Formation
Spatial localization uses three orthogonal gradients. Slice selection applies a gradient during a shaped RF pulse; slice thickness = bandwidth / (γ·G slice).
220 words, about 1 min04Radiofrequency Coils, Hardware, and Signal Reception
RF coils transmit B₁ and receive signal. Transmit coils (body coil) create uniform excitation; receive coils (surface, phased-array) sit close to anatomy for high SNR but limited field of view.
196 words, under 1 min05Image Reconstruction, Sampling, and Artifacts
Reconstruction applies the inverse Fourier transform to k-space samples. The Nyquist criterion governs sampling: readout sampling must satisfy bandwidth, and phase encoding must cover enough k-space to avoid aliasing.
191 words, under 1 min06Fast, Parallel, and Advanced Acquisition Techniques
Fast imaging trades time for SNR, resolution, or artifacts. Fast spin echo (FSE/TSE) uses multiple 180° refocusing pulses to fill multiple k-space lines per TR; echo train length (ETL) shortens scan time but blurs and adds T₂ weighting.
187 words, under 1 min07Safety, Bioeffects, and RF Heating
MR safety has three main physical hazards: the static B₀ field (projectile effects, vertigo), time-varying gradients (peripheral nerve stimulation, acoustic noise), and RF fields (heating, SAR). SAR is proportional to B₀², flip angle², duty cycle, and inversely to TR.
191 words, under 1 min08Quality Assurance, Acceptance Testing, and Artifact Troubleshooting
QA ensures stable image quality. Daily QA checks SNR, uniformity, geometric accuracy, and ghosting using a phantom.
177 words, under 1 min09Quantitative MRI and Emerging Methods
Quantitative MRI aims for reproducible, scanner-independent metrics. Key methods include T₁ mapping (inversion recovery, Look-Locker, MOLLI), T₂ mapping (multi-echo spin echo), T₂ mapping (multi-echo GRE), and diffusion imaging (DWI, DTI, ADC).
163 words, under 1 min