A method for hyperpolarizing spins includes the following steps: a) placing a sample containing spins (s) in a stationary magnetic field; b) magnetically coupling the sample to an electromagnetic resonator having a resonance frequency ω.sub.0 equal to the Larmor frequency of the spins in the stationary magnetic field, such that the coupling with the resonator dominates the relaxation dynamics of the spins; and c) reducing the effective temperature of the electromagnetic field inside the electromagnetic resonator below its physical temperature and that of the sample; whereby the polarization of the spins of the sample is established at a value higher than its thermal equilibrium value. An apparatus for implementing such a method is also provided.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for magnetic resonance imaging. The method may include obtaining first k-space data collected from a subject in a non-Cartesian sampling manner. The method may also include generating second k-space data by regridding the first k-space data. The method may further include generating third k-space data by calibrating the second k-space data, wherein a calibrated field of view (FOV) corresponding to the third k-space data is constituted by a central portion of an intermediate FOV corresponding to the second k-space data. The method may still further include reconstructing, using at least one of a compressed sensing algorithm or a parallel imaging algorithm, a magnetic resonance (MR) image of the subject based at least in part on the third k-space data.

Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

Disclosed herein is a method for multimodal imaging during a medical procedure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Raman optical imaging which involves administering an MRI imaging contrast agent that a chemical structure having charge-transfer electronic transitions. The tissue is imaged using and MRI device and the tissue is illuminated with excitation light that has spectral components that are approximately tuned close to one of the charge-transfer electronic transitions thereby producing enhanced Raman optical signals which are analyzed to produce Raman imaging data followed by registering the MRI and Raman imaging data. The present disclosure also provides a method for ionizing laser plumes through atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.

Superparamagnetic nanoparticle-based analytical method comprising providing a sample having analytes in a sample matrix, providing a point of care chip having analytical regions, each of which is a stationary phase having at least one or more sections, labeling each of the analytes with a superparamagnetic nanoparticle and immobilizing the labeled analytes in the stationary phase, providing an analytical device having a means for exciting the superparamagnetic nanoparticles in vitro and a means for sensing, receiving, and transmitting response of the excited superparamagnetic nanoparticles, placing the chip in the analytical device and exciting the superparamagnetic nanoparticles in vitro, sensing, receiving, and transmitting the response of the superparamagnetic nanoparticles, and analyzing the response and determining characteristic of the analytes, wherein the response of the superparamagnetic nanoparticles comprises harmonics. The present invention also provides the hybrid point of care chip and analyzer to be used in the analytical method.

Systems and methods for late gadolinium enhancement (“LGE”) tissue viability imaging in a dynamic (e.g., temporally-resolved) manner using magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) are provided. Dynamic LGE images can be generated throughout the entire cardiac cycle at high temporal resolution in a single breath-hold. Dynamic, semi-quantitative longitudinal relaxation maps are acquired and retrospective synthetization of dynamic LGE images is implemented using those semi-quantitative longitudinal relaxation maps.

The present disclosure presents a trajectory array guide system for defining a trajectory to a target location in the brain of a subject and for guiding an elongated tool along the trajectory. The trajectory array guide system can comprise: a base, an array guide, an imaging unit, and an elongated handle configured for connection with a stereotaxic navigation system. The present disclosure presents a method of using a trajectory array guide system for defining a trajectory to a target location in the brain of a subject and for guiding an elongated tool along the trajectory.

The present invention relates to novel organic dinitroxide biradical compounds and their use as polarizing agents, in particular, in the techniques of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) of solids or liquid samples and medical imaging.

The present application is in the field of imaging reagents. In particular, the present application relates to labelled fluorocarbon imaging reagents, the preparation of the reagents, and their uses for imaging such as PET scanning.

In a method (100 to 208) in which hyperpolarizable tracer molecules (20, 88 to 98) are hydrogenated and then optionally also hyperpolarized for magnetic resonance imaging, it is provided that, in a first method step (104, 202), a hydrogen solution (10, 12, 4) having a saturation factor of at least 50% be prepared and that the hydrogenation reaction (186 to 190, 206) not be triggered until a subsequent, second method step (106, 204). An apparatus (1) with which the method of the invention (100 to 208) is executable is also provided.