Method for diagnosis of and prognosis for damaged tissue

• US 20020016543A1
• Filed: 04/05/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orthogene LLC
• Original Assignee: Orthogene LLC
• Inventors: Tyler, Jenny A.
• Application Number:
  US09/828,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016543A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4514 Cartilage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5608 Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

Tissue is analyzed by acquiring multiple sets of magnetic resonance signals from a stationary body part, organ or tissue, quantizing the signals pixel by pixel within an area of interest, determining at least one magnetic resonance parameter in each pixel, and correlating the determined magnetic resonance parameter with predetermined magnetic resonance parameters that have been correlated with selected biological parameters of the body part, organ or tissue. The magnetic resonance parameter can be longitudinal relaxation time, transverse relaxation time, magnetization transfer, or magnetization ratio. The determined quantized magnetic parameter may be coded by color or otherwise with regard to the selected biological parameter and spatially displayed.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing tissue based on quantized magnetic resonance data comprising the steps of

a) selecting at least one magnetic resonance parameter to characterize a body part, organ or tissue,

b) selecting a suitable pulse sequence to quantify that selected magnetic resonance parameter,

c) using the selected pulse sequence to acquire multiple sets of magnetic resonance signals from the body part, organ or tissue at an unchanged position relative to the measurement acquisition system,

d) quantifying the magnetic resonance imaging parameters on a pixel by pixel basis,

e) determining biological properties of interest of a body part, organ or tissue structure by biological means including histological, biochemical, histochemical, and biomechanical,

f) correlating quantitative ranges of the selected magnetic resonance parameters with selected biological properties of interest of a body party, organ or tissue.

2. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein in step a) the magnetic resonance parameter is selected from longitudinal relaxation time (T₁), transverse relaxation time (T₂), magnetization transfer (MT), and magnetization ratio (MR).

3. The method as defined by claim 2 wherein the tissue is cartilage.

4. The method as defined by claim 3 and further including the step of:

f) creating an image of the tissue based on representation of sets of one or more quantitative magnetic resonance parameters.

5. The method as defined by claim 1 and further including the step of:

f) creating an image based on representation of sets of one or more quantitative magnetic resonance parameters.

6. A method for analyzing tissue based on quantized magnetic resonance data comprising the steps of

a) acquiring magnetic resonance signals from the tissue,

b) determining at least one magnetic resonance quality of tissue in each pixel,

c) quantizing the magnetic resonance signals pixel by pixel within the tissue, and

d) correlating the determined magnetic resonance quality with known magnetic resonance qualities of tissue.

7. The method as defined by claim 6 wherein in step c) the magnetic resonance quality is selected from longitudinal relaxation time (T₁), transverse relaxation time (T₂), magnetization transfer (MT), and magnetization ratio (MR).

8. The method as defined by claim 7 wherein the tissue is cartilage.

9. The method as defined by claim 8 and further including the step of:

d) creating an image of the tissue based on the determined magnetic resonance quality.

10. The method as defined by claim 6 and further including the step of:

d) creating an image of the tissue based on the determined magnetic resonance quality.

11. Magnetic resonance apparatus for use in analyzing a body comprising:

a) means for establishing a magnetic field through the body,

b) means for exciting nuclei spins in the body with an RF signal oriented at an angle with respect to said magnetic field,

c) means for receiving magnetic resonance signals from the excited nuclei representative of said nuclei spins,

d) repeating steps b) and c) to obtain a multiplicity of sets of magnetic resonance signals and determining a magnetic resonance quality from the body, and

e) means for quantizing the magnetic resonance quality pixel by pixel within the body.

12. Apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein the magnetic resonance quality is T2 relaxation time.

13. Apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein steps b), c), and d) are pulse echo sequences with varying echo times.

14. Apparatus as defined by claim 11 wherein the magnetic resonance quality is chosen form T1 relaxation time, T2 relaxation time, and magnetic ratio.

15. Apparatus as defined by claim 11 and further including

f) a display for imaging the magnetic resonance qualities pixel by pixel.