In a computer and a magnetic resonance method and apparatus for automatic characterization (classification) of liver tissue in a region of interest of a liver, at least one value tuple of the region of interest of the liver is acquired, the value tuple including at least one T.sub.1 value determined from magnetic resonance images of the region of interest, or a reciprocal value thereof, and a T.sub.2 or T.sub.2* value or a reciprocal value thereof. The value tuple is transferred into a multidimensional parameter space and the characterization of the liver tissue is then performed on the basis of the position of the value tuple in the parameter space.

A system and method for calculating a flip angle schedule is provided. The technique includes selecting an initial condition, providing a function for calculating flip angles, calculating flip angles, assessing the flip angles, and repeating the calculation of the flip angles by adjusting the function until a desired flip angle schedule is obtained.

Disclosed is a method and device for detecting a viscoelastic parameter of a viscoelastic medium. The method comprises: applying a mechanical vibration at a single predetermined frequency to the viscoelastic medium to generate a shear wave in the viscoelastic medium (101); emitting ultrasonic waves to the viscoelastic medium, and receiving ultrasonic echo signals (102); acquiring maximum displacement data of the shear wave at various depths according to the ultrasonic echo signals (103), each of the maximum displacement data representing a maximum oscillation amplitude of the shear wave when the shear wave propagates to different depths in the viscoelastic medium; fitting each of the maximum displacement data to obtain a maximum displacement attenuation curve (104); and determining the viscoelastic parameter of the viscoelastic medium according to the maximum displacement attenuation curve (105). The method and device can provide a more accurate measurement result of tissue fibrosis.

A quantification device for the level of lipids and/or proteins present within hepatic tissues. The Device includes: a light source, having at least one vacuum tungsten lamp with a total power of between 0.5 and 2 watts, with a total brightness of between 1000 and 2000 lumens and a total color temperature of between 6000 and 10000 degrees Kelvin; a photosensitive sensor having a sensitivity wavelength of between 800 nm and 2450 nm, configured to capture the light emitted from the light source after diffraction within liver tissues; means for extracting a diffraction spectrum of the light according to an image captured by the photosensitive sensor; and means for analyzing the spectrum in order to determine a level of lipids and/or proteins.

A system and method for processing highly undersampled multi-echo spin-echo data by linearizing the slice-resolved extended phase graph model generates highly accurate T.sub.2 maps with indirect echo compensation. Principal components are used to linearize the signal model to estimate the T.sub.2 decay curves which can be fitted to the slice-resolved model for T2 estimation. In another example of image processing for highly undersampled data, a joint bi-exponential fitting process can compensate for image variations within a voxel and thus provide partial voxel compensation to produce more accurate T.sub.2 maps.

A device and a method for computing a weighted-average-based position of a shear wave in a temporal domain based on a sampling of shear wave displacements along a propagation path of the shear wave. The weighted-average-based position is, for example, by displacement observed at a plurality of times that correspond to sampling, and represents a time of arrival of the shear wave at a location being sampled along the propagation path. Further, times of arrival of the shear wave at respective locations along the propagation path are functionally related to known inter-location distances to derive shear-wave group velocity. The derived shear-wave group velocity serves as an input into algorithms for estimating a shear elasticity of a medium, such as a body tissue, for purposes of a clinical diagnosis and therapy assessment.

A method for measuring energy malnutrition in a liver disease test subject, a method for determining whether a liver disease test subject is in an energy malnutrition state, a method for determining the necessity of nutrition therapy for a liver disease test subject having energy malnutrition, a composition usable in these methods, and the like are provided. The method for measuring energy malnutrition in a liver disease test subject includes the steps of collecting expired air containing labeled carbon dioxide that is generated in the body of a liver disease test subject by being converted from a composition containing, as an active ingredient, glucose labeled with at least one isotope C; and determining the ratio of labeled CO.sub.2 amount to unlabeled CO.sub.2 amount, or the ratio of labeled CO.sub.2 amount to total CO.sub.2 amount in expired air.

An analysis apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to obtain quantitative values of a plurality of types of tissue properties relating to a region of interest of a subject, and generate a diagram of the region of interest based on the quantitative values.

Example apparatus and methods are provided to reconstruct under-sampled three-dimensional (3D) data associated with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals acquired from a liver. The data is reconstructed using a 3D through-time non-Cartesian generalized auto-calibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) approach to produce a quantized value for a contrast agent concentration in the liver from a signal intensity in the data based, at least in part, on a compartment model of the liver. The quantized value describes a perfusion parameter for the liver.

Self-directed health screening systems and methods utilizing user navigation and device integration, health analyzing algorithms, and/or self-learning techniques for the detection, quantifying, prevention, and management of health risks and discoverable health conditions. Implementations herein may include components or involve aspects associated with information collection, information processing, display/provision/rendering of professional advice, and/or processing of various associated data and information via network(s). Implementations herein provide for innovatively configured, easily upgradable, efficient, portable, scalable, easy-to-use, usage-encouraging, and/or effective implementations for screening, predicting points of inflection of pending health issues, preventing and/or managing users' health, provided via various and multiple embodiments having numerous advantages over other known techniques. Screenings, health information, and user-selectable choices may be optimized for each unit by offering different combinations over a period of time and iterating to produce the greatest usage and user traffic thereby best serving the specific health needs of the user base and sponsoring advertisers.