Equipment and software required for MRS

In-vivo MRS uses MRI apparatus that is virtually identical to that used in imaging, but nevertheless requires:

• A sufficiently strong and very homogenous magnetic field, to distinguish resonance peaks (at least 1.5 T, shimming).
• Specific sequences for spectroscopic signal acquisition. There are two types of MRS: either SVS: Single Voxel Spectroscopy which receives the spectrum from a single voxel only, or spectroscopic imaging (CSI: Chemical Shift Imaging) which measures spectra in projection (1D), on a slice (2D) or a volume (3D).
• Adapted data processing software.
• An adapted radiofrequency system (in the resonance frequency of the studied nucleus).