pH calculating apparatus, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and pH calculating method

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to
• obtain at least one Z spectrum that is generated from a Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) imaging process by using, for an examined subject, a contrast agent containing a plurality of types of substances having mutually-different responsiveness to pH and that includes local minima of a plurality of signal values respectively corresponding to the plurality of types of substances, and to also obtain information related to the examined subject,
• calculate a pH dependent value by using a plurality of MR signal values corresponding to the local minima of the plurality of signal values,
• select a standard curve indicating a pH value corresponding to the pH dependent value in accordance with the information related to the examined subject, from among a plurality of standard curves prepared in advance, and
• determine a pH value based on the selected standard curve and the pH dependent value;
• and
• sequence controlling circuitry configured to execute the CEST imaging process.

A pH calculating method, comprising:

• obtaining at least one Z spectrum that is generated from a Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) imaging process by using, for an examined subject, a contrast agent containing a plurality of types of substances having mutually-different responsiveness to pH and that includes local minima of a plurality of signal values respectively corresponding to the plurality of types of substances, and also obtaining information related to the examined subject;
• calculating a pH dependent value by using a plurality of MR signal values corresponding to the local minima of the plurality of signal values;
• selecting a standard curve indicating a pH value corresponding to the pH dependent value in accordance with the information related to the examined subject, from among a plurality of standard curves prepared in advance;
• and
• determining a pH value on a basis of the selected standard curve and the pH dependent value.