Deoxyhemoglobin in a subject may be modulated to act as a contrast agent for use in magnetic resonance imaging. Sequential gas delivery may be applied to adjust the level of deoxyhemoglobin in the subject. A suitable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence that is sensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneities, such as a blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) sequence, may be used to detect deoxyhemoglobin as a contrast agent.

The disclosure relates to the acceleration of MRI examinations, particularly during the detection and differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions by way of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The disclosure also relates to a method, a system and a computer program product for generating MRI images, particularly of the liver.

A method is for providing a medical image of a patient. The method includes acquiring medical measurement data of the patient, including a set of multiple sampled state combinations; a first state space, including first physiological states, and a second state space, including second physiological states, together spanning a third state space. Each of the combinations includes a state from the first and second state spaces, and the third state space includes the set of combinations. The method further includes generating a medical image of the patient using the medical measurement data acquired, including a further state combination; the further state combination including a state from the first and second state space, the third state space including the further state combination, and the further state combination lying within the third state space outside the set of combinations. Finally, the method includes providing the medical image of the patient generated.

This invention relates generally to detection devices having one or more small wells each surrounded by, or in close proximity to, an NMR micro coil, each well containing a liquid sample with magnetic nanoparticles that self-assemble or disperse in the presence of a target analyte, thereby altering the measured NMR properties of the liquid sample. The device may be used, for example, as a portable unit for point of care diagnosis and/or field use, or the device may be implanted for continuous or intermittent monitoring of one or more biological species of interest in a patient.

A dynamic field camera arrangement for monitoring electromagnetic field behavior in a spatial region comprises a main magnetic field and a radiofrequency (RF) field limited to a first RF band, particularly in an MRI or NMR apparatus. The arrangement comprises a magnetic field detector set comprising a plurality of low-frequency magnetic field detectors, each one of said magnetic field detectors comprising a magnetic resonance (MR) active substance, means for pulsed MR excitation of said substance and means for receiving an MR signal generated by said substance, wherein said pulsed excitation and said MR detector signal is in a second RF band that does not overlap said first RF band. The MR signal receiving means comprise a first RF filter which suppresses RF signal from said first RF band and transmits RF signal from said second RF band.

A method is for performing an angiographic measurement of a main measurement region of a patient via a magnetic resonance system. An embodiment of the method includes performing at least one overview measurement to generate overview-measurement data; defining, using the overview-measurement data, the main measurement region and a first measurement region, the first measurement region differing from the main measurement region; performing a first time-resolved measurement in the first measurement region defined to generate first time-resolved measurement data; detecting an injected contrast agent bolus in the first measurement region using the first time-resolved measurement data; determining a flow rate of the injected contrast agent bolus detected; setting at least one measurement parameter of the angiographic measurement according to the flow rate determined; and performing the angiographic measurement of the main measurement region of the patient in the magnetic resonance system using the at least one measurement parameter set.

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.

A process for the preparation of beads including a biocompatible hydrophobic polymer, a perfluorocarbon, polyvinylalcohol and optionally a metal compound, including the steps of: adding the perfluorocarbon and optionally the metal compound to a solution of the biocompatible hydrophobic polymer in a polar solvent to provide a first liquid mixture, adding the first liquid mixture to an aqueous solution of a biocompatible surfactant including polyvinylalcohol under sonication to obtain a second liquid mixture, a) maintaining the sonication of the second liquid mixture while cooling, b) evaporating the polar solvent from the second liquid mixture to obtain a suspension of beads including the biocompatible hydrophobic polymer, the perfluorocarbon and optionally the metal compound, c) separating the beads from the suspension and preparing a water suspension of the beads and d) freeze-drying the water suspension to obtain the beads, wherein the addition of the first liquid mixture to the biocompatible surfactant in step b) is performed within a period of at most 10 seconds, wherein the sonication in step b) and the sonication in step c) are performed directly into the liquid mixtures by for example a probe or flow sonicator at an amplitude of at least 120 μm for 0.01-10 minutes and wherein the weight ratio of the biocompatible surfactant to the biocompatible hydrophobic polymer is at least 3:1. Beads having close F—H2O interactions, which are suitable for imaging purposes.

A cannula for transferring a substance to and/or from a patient includes a rigid, tubular support sleeve, an inner sleeve, a transfer tube, and a conformal polymeric sleeve. The support sleeve defines a support sleeve lumen extending from a first opening at a proximal end of the support sleeve to a second opening at a distal end of the support sleeve. The support sleeve includes a rigid, MRI-compatible material. The inner sleeve is disposed in the support sleeve lumen and extends beyond the distal end of the support sleeve to a distal end of the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve defines an inner sleeve lumen. The transfer tube is disposed in the inner sleeve lumen and extends to or beyond the distal end of the inner sleeve to a distal end of the transfer tube. The transfer tube defines a transfer tube lumen terminating at an opening at the distal end of the transfer tube. The conformal polymeric sleeve surrounds at least a portion of the support sleeve and at least a portion of the inner sleeve. The conformal polymeric sleeve includes a transitional section extending from the distal end of the support sleeve and over the inner sleeve in a direction toward the distal end of the inner sleeve. The transitional section tapers inwardly in the direction toward the distal end of the inner sleeve.

A method for navigating therapeutic, diagnostic or imaging agents in a vascular network or body cavity is introduced. The method is characterized by high directional gradients and a high magnetic field strength. The latter is used to saturate the magnetization of magnetic therapeutic agents such that when combined with high directional gradients, improved navigation of the magnetic therapeutic agents can be provided at various depths within a patient's body.