Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Hannes Dahnke

Tobias Richard Schaeffter

Tobias Schaffter

Ulrich Wolfgang Katscher

Tobias Schaeffter

MRI based molecular imaging is strongly supported by the accurate quantification of contrast agents. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, contrast agent is applied on the basis of a multiple injection application scheme, during which changes in relaxation rate are determined. This may provide for an accurate determination of rumor vascularity via MRI relaxometry.

Multiple contrast agent injection for imaging

MRI based molecular imaging is strongly supported by the accurate quantification of contrast agents. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, contrast agent is applied on the basis of a multiple injection application scheme, during which changes in relaxation rate are determined. This may provide for an accurate determination of tumor vascularity via MRI relaxometry.

An MR method and apparatus determines spatially resolved relaxation parameters of a subject in an examination zone, voxel by voxel. A first MR scan sequence is applied to generate a series of first MR data sets having different echo times. A second MR scan sequence is applied to generate at least one further MR data set having an enhanced spatial resolution and reduced time resolution in comparison with the first MR data sets from the first sequence. MR combination images are generated using the first MR data sets derived from the first sequence for a portion within the k-space and the further MR data set acquired outside this portion by the second sequence. The relaxation parameters are determined from the MR combination images.

MR method for spatially-resolved determination of relaxation parameters

An MR method determines local relaxation time values (T, T) of an examination object (). First, two or more MR images () of the examination object () are recorded, each with different time parameter sets (TR, TE, TR, TE) of an imaging sequence. MR images () of a phantom are likewise recorded using the same time parameter sets (TR, TE, TR, TE) of the imaging sequence. The phantom has a known spatial distribution of relaxation time values (T, T). The local relaxation time values (T, T) of the examination object () are determined by comparing image values of the MR images () of the examination object () with image values of the MR images () of the phantom and by assigning image values of the MR images () of the phantom to relaxation time values (T, T) according to the known spatial distribution of relaxation time values (T, T) of the phantom.

MR method of determining local relaxation time values using calibrated phantom

MR based molecular imaging is strongly supported by the accurate quantification of contrast agents. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a determination unit of an examination apparatus is adapted for determining an error propagation function, wherein the error propagation function is then used as a weighting function for an accurate determination Of AR*. This leads to an improved examination result.

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Hamburg, Germany

Hannes Dahnke