Simultaneous magnetic resonance angiography and perfusion with nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprinting

An apparatus, comprising:

• a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus, comprising a computing device and a display, the computing device including a microprocessor configured to control the NMR apparatus and that is further configured to perform a combined magnetic resonance angiography and perfusion (MRAP)/magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) (MRAP/MRF) excitation to acquire, via the microprocessor configured to perform simultaneous MRAP/MRF acquisition, a first set of data and a second set of data simultaneously,
• wherein the first set of data repetitively and variably samples a (k, t, E) space associated with an object to acquire a set of NMR signals, where members of the first set of data are associated with different points in the (k, t, E) space, where k is data acquired by the NMR apparatus, t is time, and E includes at least one of, T1, T2, and one other parameter, T1 being spin-lattice relaxation, and T2 being spin-spin relaxation, and where one or more of, t and E, vary non-linearly, and
• wherein the second set of data includes magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic data and perfusion data;
• the microprocessor further configured to communicate with the NMR apparatus and is programmed to:
• acquire the first set of data and the second set of data, simultaneously, from the object using the MRAP/MRF acquisition;
• produce one or more quantitative relaxation parameter, a magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA), and a quantitative perfusion measurement associated with the object, wherein the one or more quantitative relaxation parameter is produced based on the first set of data, and wherein the MRA and the quantitative perfusion measurement are produced based on the second set of data;
• produce information concerning vascularization associated with the object based, at least in part, on the one or more quantitative relaxation parameter, the MRA, and the quantitative perfusion measurement;
• and
• display the information concerning vascularization associated with the object on the display.