Measurement of the macromolecular proton density involved in magnetization transfer by means of magnetic resonance
OwnerStefan Ropeleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for measuring the macromolecular proton concentration involved in magnetization transfer comprising the steps of applying a first RF pulse of flip angle α1 at a first time, applying a first magnetic field gradient along a predetermined direction, applying a second RF pulse of flip angle α2 at a second time τ1 seconds after said first time, applying a third RF pulse of flip angle α3 at a third time τ1+τ2 seconds after said first time, applying a fourth RF pulse of flip angle α4 at a fourth time τ1+τ2+τ3 seconds after said first time, applying a second magnetic field gradient along the same pre-determined direction as said first magnetic field gradient, and detecting a stimulated echo at a fifth time.
Claims23
A magnetic resonance method of measuring the dilution of phase modulated spins in an object that contains protonated macromelecules, from which the macromolecular proton concentration involved in magnetization transfer can be calculated, wherein the steps of:
- applying a first RF pulse of flip angle α1 at a first time so as to generate a transverse magnetization in said object;
- applying a first magnetic field gradient along a predetermined direction in said object so as to produce a phase modulation of 1H spins along the direction of the gradient;
- applying a second RF pulse of flip angle α2 at a second time τ1 seconds after said first time so as to flip the transverse magnetization into the longitudinal plane;
- applying a third RF pulse of flip angle α3 at a third time τ1+τ2 seconds after said first time;
- applying a fourth RF pulse of flip angle α4 at a fourth time τ1+τ2+τ3 seconds after said first time so as to flip the longitudinal stored magnetization into the transverse plane;
- applying a second magnetic field gradient along the same predetermined direction and with the same amplitude and duration as said first magnetic field gradient;
- detecting a stimulated echo at a fifth time.
(canceled)
A magnetic resonance imaging device comprising a magnet (10) which generates a magnetic field about an object (14), gradient coils (18) which apply gradient pulses to said object (14), RF coils (24) which apply RF pulses to said object (14), driving circuitry (16, 22) which drives said gradient coils (18) and RF coils (24), receiving circuitry (30) which receives a signal from said object (14) in said magnetic field upon application of said gradient pulses and RF pulses, an arithmetic unit (34), a display device (36) for displaying said received and processed signals, wherein a sequence control device (26) which controls said RF coils (24) to generate and apply a first RF pulse of flip angle α1 at a first time so as to generate a transverse magnetization in said object (14) and a second RF pulse of flip angle α2 at a second time τ1 seconds after said first time so as to flip the transverse magnetization into the longitudinal plane and a third RF pulse of flip angle α3 at a third time τ1+τ2 seconds after said first time and a fourth RF pulse of flip angle α4 at a fourth time τ1+τ2+τ3 seconds after said first time so as to flip the longitudinal stored magnetization into the transverse plane, and which sequence control device (26) controls said gradient coils (18) to generate and apply a first magnetic field gradient after the application of said first RF pulse and to generate and apply a second magnetic field gradients after the application of the forth RF pulse along a predetermined direction in said object (14) and which generates an image of a stimulated echo detected by said receiving circuitry (30) at a fifth time.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.