Described here are systems and methods for generating quantitative perfusion parameter maps based on different longitudinal relaxation parameter maps that are produced from images acquired using non-selective and selective magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) data acquisition techniques.

The present invention describes methods and compositions for non-invasively assessing the molecular structure of biocompatible hydrogels using MRI analysis. It is shown that biocompatible hydrogels prepared from polymerizing macromolecules that are attached to a paramagnetic, superparamagnetic or ferromagnetic contrast agents form reporter gels wherein monitoring of the changes in the structure of the hydrogels by MRI is facilitated by the presence of such paramagnetic, superparamagnetic or ferromagnetic agents in the biocompatible hydrogel.

An imaging system of microbubble therapy cooperated with an ultrasound device for monitoring a cavitation on microbubbles in a vessel of an affected part is disclosed in the present invention, in which the cavitation is occurred by applying an ultrasound to disrupt the microbubbles. The system comprises an image acquiring module and a controlling module. The image acquiring module comprises at least one magnetic resonance device for acquiring a plurality of magnetic resonance images of the cavitation, and the controlling module provided for controlling an acquiring time of the magnetic resonance device and an irradiation time of the ultrasonic device through a controlling mode. An image evaluation method using the same is also disclosed herein and comprises steps as the following. First, injecting the microbubbles into the vessel of the affected part is performed. And then, a plurality of magnetic resonance images by a magnetic resonance device and in an acquiring time is acquired. The microbubbles are irradiated for an irradiation time by an ultrasound. Finally, changes of the magnetic resonance images will be monitored, in which an irradiation path of the ultrasound may be perpendicular to a direction of flow in the vessel and the irradiation time is within the acquiring time.

Provided herein is technology relating to magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents and particularly, but not exclusively, to methods and systems for visualizing one or more magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for measuring blood volume using non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. The method of the present invention includes a subtraction-based method using a pair of acquisitions immediately following velocity-sensitized pulse trains for the label module and its corresponding control module, respectively. The signal of static tissue is canceled out and the difference signal comes from the flowing blood compartment above a cutoff velocity. After normalizing to a proton density-weighted image acquired separately and scaled with the blood T1 and T2 relaxation factors, quantitative measurement of blood volume is then obtained.

Improved motion correction for magnetic resonance imaging is provided. An MR imaging method provides a first sequence of MR images and a second sequence of MR images where: 1) the two sequences are inherently spatially co-registered and synchronous with each other; 2) the first sequence includes signal variation due to one or more causes other than motion or deformation; and 3) the second sequence does not include the signal variation of the first sequence. In this situation, the second sequence can be used to perform motion correction for the first sequence. One example of this approach is Dixon MR imaging, where the water images are the first sequence and the fat images are the second sequence.

3D cine MR angiography systems and methods are disclosed for use during the steady state intravascular distribution phase of ferumoxytol. The 3D cine MRA technique enables improved delineation of cardiac anatomy in pediatric patients undergoing cardiovascular MRI.

A method of imaging an organism includes introducing a composite nanoparticle into a circulating fluid of an organism to form a circulating fluid mixture in the organism is provided. The composite nanoparticle comprises a core comprising at least one of a contrast agent and a magnetic material, and at least one layer of biocompatible material surrounding the core. The method further includes receiving an image of at least a portion of the organism where the circulating fluid has circulated, removing at least a portion of the circulating fluid mixture from the organism at a first rate, applying a magnetic field to the removed portion of the circulating fluid mixture to selectively remove the composite nanoparticle from the circulating fluid mixture and to produce a filtered fluid mixture, and returning the filtered fluid mixture to the circulating fluid of the organism at a second rate.

Described herein is a method to detect perfusion and brain functional activity using Hyperpolarized xenon-129 (.sup.129Xe) Time-of-Flight (TOF) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Specifically, this method uses hyperpolarized .sup.129Xe MRI to detect blood flow and perfusion changes in the region of interest. In addition, this method can be used to detect blood flow changes in brain tissue that corresponds to the brain functional activities by detecting the amount of .sup.129Xe dissolved in blood and brain tissue per unit of time.

A method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging system (10) with regard to acquiring multiple-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images, the method comprising steps of acquiring (48) a first set of magnetic resonance image data (x.sub.pre) prior to administering a contrast agent to the subject of interest (20), by employing a water/fat magnetic resonance signal separation technique, determining (52) a first image of the spatial distribution of fat (I.sub.pre) of at least the portion of the subject of interest (20), acquiring (50) at least a second set of magnetic resonance image data (x.sub.2) of at least the portion of the subject of interest (20) after administering the contrast agent to the subject of interest (20), by employing a water/fat magnetic resonance signal separation technique, determining (54) at least a second image of the spatial distribution of fat (I.sub.2.sup.ph) of at least the portion of the subject of interest (20), applying (56) an image registration method to the second image of the spatial distribution of fat (I.sub.2.sup.ph) with reference to the first image of the spatial distribution of fat (I.sub.pre) for correcting a potential motion of the subject of interest (20); and a magnetic resonance imaging system (10) having a control unit (26) that is configured to carry out steps (56-64) of such a method; and a software module (44) for carrying out such a method, wherein the method steps (56-64) to be conducted are converted into a program code that is implementable in a memory unit (30) and is executable by a processor unit (32) of the magnetic resonance imaging system (10).