The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Other

Samuel Patz

Yuly M Pulyer

Mirko I Hrovat

James P Butler

Natalia V Lisitza

Eduard Y Chekmenev

A method of preparing a hydrogen-containingC compound test sample exhibiting an enhancedC nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal when exposed to aC NMR pulse sequence is disclosed. In the disclosed method, the hydrogen-containingC compound is mixed with hyperpolarizedXe in the gaseous state, and the mixture is subsequently frozen within a magnetic field. The magnetic field strength is then reduced sufficiently so that spin polarization is transferred from the hyperpolarizedXe to the compound. The magnetic field strength is then increased, and the mixture is thawed to obtain the test sample.

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A system and method for producing a more accurate ventilation image, as compared to existing lung Fourier decomposition methods, and an image of ventilation dependent blood volume are provided. A time series of images depicting a subject's lungs during free-breathing are acquired and co-registered to a reference image. From the registration process, geometric information indicative proton density changes due to inhalation and exhalation of gas is obtained. This geometric information is used to correct the proton density values in the time series of image frames. These corrected proton density values are Fourier transformed to produce a Fourier spectrum, from which a signal peak occurring at the breathing frequency is extracted and Fourier transformed to produce a more accurate ventilation image. This more accurate ventilation image can be subtracted from a breathing frequency image produced by conventional lung Fourier decomposition methods to produce a ventilation dependent blood volume image.

System and method for improved lung fourier decomposition magnetic resonance imaging

A method of reconstructing an image from an MRI machine includes receiving a superposition of phase-weighted spin echoes. This is representative of a two-dimensional spin density that encodes the image. A partial spin density is then recovered from the superposition of spin echoes. This partial spin density is a PERL transform of the two-dimensional spin density. The two-dimensional spin density is then recovered from the partial spin density by analytically evaluating an inverse PERL transform of the partial spin density.

MRI imaging with a PERL field

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe having an external background magnetic field B.sub.o is described. The probe has a primary magnet having a longitudinal axis and an external surface extending in the axial direction and a rf coil surrounding and proximal to the surface. The magnet provides a B.sub.o field having an external region of substantial homogeneity proximal to the surface. Preferably, the B.sub.o field is provided by two magnets spaced axially and in axial alignment and wherein said region of homogeneity intersects a plane located between the magnets and perpendicular to the axis. For MR imaging, surrounding the primary magnet are r-, z- and .o slashed.-gradient coils to provide spatial encoding fields.

MRI probe for external imaging

Apparatus and methods for performing MRI are disclosed wherein the encoding field has a multidimensional, preferably periodic, dependence. Two dimensional image information can be obtained without the necessity for switching the encoding field. Further, velocity information can be obtained. Preferred coil structures for providing preferred encoding fields are described.

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Chestnut Hill, MA, United States of America

Samuel Patz