Apparatus for operating MRI is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a control for operating an MRI scanner to carry out an MRI scan; an input for receiving first and second MRI scans respectively at the beginning and end of a predetermined time interval post contrast administration; a subtraction map former for forming a subtraction map from the first and the second MRI scans by analyzing the scans to distinguish between a population in which contrast clearance from the tissue is slower than contrast accumulation, and a population in which clearance is faster than accumulation; and an output to provide an indication of distribution of the populations. The control is configured to carry out the first scan at least five minutes and no more than twenty minutes post contrast administration and to carry out the second scan such that the predetermined time period is at least twenty minutes.

The invention features a novel non-invasive approach for imaging, detecting and/or sensing metal ions with improved sensitivity and specificity in a biological sample or tissue. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a MR contrast-based approach for imaging, detecting and/or sensing metal ions in the biological sample/tissue containing various background ions by using .sup.19F-based chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique.

A quantification of a particular element comprised in magnetic particles enclosed in a volume involves applying a first time-varying magnetic field to the volume, having a first magnitude and a first frequency and applying a second time varying magnetic field, not parallel with the first magnetic field for causing precession of the magnetized particles. The second magnetic field is an RF field having a second frequency equal to the Larmor-frequency of the particular element. Thereafter the resultant magnetization originating from the volume and modulated by the time-varying field is measured, and at least one frequency component of the resultant magnetization is determined. A power and/or voltage of the at least one frequency component is calculated and a quantity of the magnetic particles enclosed in the volume is determined based thereon.

A system and method are provided for generating images of a portion of a subject including an organ receiving blood from multiple, different supplies. The method includes accessing MR data acquired from a subject having received a dose of a material configured to change MR contrast. The method also includes reconstructing the MR dataset into a first set of MR images using a first reconstruction process configured to weight the first set of MR images to the material configured to change the MR contrast and reconstructing the MR dataset into a second set of MR images using a second reconstruction process configured to weight the second set of MR images against the material configured to change the MR contrast. The method further includes displaying the first set of MR images and the second set of MR images to selectively display blood flow from each of the multiple, different supplies.

Apparatus for operating MRI is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a control for operating an MRI scanner to carry out an MRI scan; an input for receiving first and second MRI scans respectively at the beginning and end of a predetermined time interval post contrast administration; a subtraction map former for forming a subtraction map from the first and the second MRI scans by analyzing the scans to distinguish between a population in which contrast clearance from the tissue is slower than contrast accumulation, and a population in which clearance is faster than accumulation; and an output to provide an indication of distribution of the populations. The control is configured to carry out the first scan at least five minutes and no more than twenty minutes post contrast administration and to carry out the second scan such that the predetermined time period is at least twenty minutes.

Apparatus for operating MRI is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a control for operating an MRI scanner to carry out an MRI scan; an input for receiving first and second MRI scans respectively at the beginning and end of a predetermined time interval post contrast administration; a subtraction map former for forming a subtraction map from the first and the second MRI scans by analyzing the scans to distinguish between a population in which contrast clearance from the tissue is slower than contrast accumulation, and a population in which clearance is faster than accumulation; and an output to provide an indication of distribution of the populations. The control is configured to carry out the first scan at least five minutes and no more than twenty minutes post contrast administration and to carry out the second scan such that the predetermined time period is at least twenty minutes.

Tracer kinetic models are utilized as temporal constraints for highly under-sampled reconstruction of DCE-MRI data. In one embodiment, a method for improving dynamic contrast enhanced imaging. The method includes steps of administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent to a subject and then collecting magnetic resonance contrast agent from the subject. A tracer kinetic model (i.e. eTofts or Patlak) is selected to be applied to the magnetic resonance imaging data. The tracer kinetic model is applied to the magnetic resonance imaging data. Tracer kinetic maps and dynamic images are simultaneously reconstructed and a consistency constraint is applied. The proposed method allows for easy use of different tracer kinetic models in the formulation and estimation of patient-specific arterial input functions jointly with tracer kinetic maps.

A method for determining quantitative parameters for dynamic contrast-enhanced MR data includes acquiring a set of contrast-enhanced MR data for a region of interest using a T1-weighted pulse sequence, generating at least one contrast concentration curve based on the set of contrast-enhanced MR data, accessing a comprehensive dictionary of contrast concentration curves and generating a grouped dictionary that has a plurality of groups based on the comprehensive dictionary. Each group includes a plurality of correlated contrast concentration curves and a group representative signal for the group. The method also includes comparing a contrast concentration curve with the group representative signal of each group to select a group, comparing the contrast concentration curve to the plurality of correlated contrast concentration curves in the selected group to identify a set of quantitative parameters for the concentration curve and generating a report including the set of quantitative parameter.

The present disclosure relates to a spinal stenosis diagnostic method and apparatus and the spinal stenosis diagnostic method includes: sequentially receiving a phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging in each time interval captured by normalizing one cardiac cycle with a plurality of time intervals; obtaining a cerebrospinal fluid velocity distribution in each normalized time interval from the phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging of each time interval; calculating a turbulence kinetic energy using the cerebrospinal fluid velocity distribution obtained at every time interval; and diagnosing the spinal stenosis using the calculation result of the turbulence kinetic energy.

The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance structure with a cavity or a reserved space that provides contrast and the additional ability to frequency-shift the spectral signature of the NMR-susceptible nuclei such as water protons by a discrete and controllable characteristic frequency shift that is unique to each MRS design. The invention also relates to nearly uniform solid magnetic resonance T.sub.2* contrast agents that have a significantly higher magnetic moment compared to similarly-sized existing MRI contrast agents.