Blood signal suppressed enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
First Claim
1. A method of black-blood magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with blood signal suppression that is independent of blood flow velocity and blood exchange, comprising:
- a. administering an MRI contrast agent;
b. waiting for the MRI contrast agent to arrive at the organ tissue of interest;
thenc. using an RF transmitter, applying an RF pulse sequence having (i) a preparatory section that reduces the MRI magnetization of the organ tissue more than the MRI magnetization of blood pool, and (ii) following the preparatory section with an inversion RF pulse;
d. after applying the RF pulse sequence, waiting for a period of time which is independent of blood flow, the wait time period selected so that (i) the MRI magnetization of healthy organ tissue will be different than the MRI magnetization of diseased organ tissue due to differences in organ tissue accumulation of the MRI contrast agent, and (ii) the MRI magnetization of blood pool will have a more negative signal vector than the MRI magnetization of healthy organ tissue;
e. after waiting the period of time, acquiring magnetic resonance data from the organ tissue of interest; and
f. generating a black blood image based on said acquired magnetic resonance data with a phase sensitive reconstruction.
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Abstract
Methods for achieving suppression of blood pool signal to image contrast-enhanced organs and vascular walls using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technology. After administration of e.g., an intravenous contrast agent, an RF pulse sequence is applied that includes a preparatory section designed to modify signal from organ tissue differently than blood pool signal, followed by an inversion RF pulse. MR signals are then allowed to evolve during a wait time that is sufficiently long to permit tissue species with dissimilar T1 relaxation times to separate in signal yet short enough so that blood signal has greater negative magnetization than other tissues of interest. MRI data is then acquired with phase sensitive reconstruction so that blood pool signal is suppressed compared with the tissues of interest.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of black-blood magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with blood signal suppression that is independent of blood flow velocity and blood exchange, comprising:
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a. administering an MRI contrast agent; b. waiting for the MRI contrast agent to arrive at the organ tissue of interest;
thenc. using an RF transmitter, applying an RF pulse sequence having (i) a preparatory section that reduces the MRI magnetization of the organ tissue more than the MRI magnetization of blood pool, and (ii) following the preparatory section with an inversion RF pulse; d. after applying the RF pulse sequence, waiting for a period of time which is independent of blood flow, the wait time period selected so that (i) the MRI magnetization of healthy organ tissue will be different than the MRI magnetization of diseased organ tissue due to differences in organ tissue accumulation of the MRI contrast agent, and (ii) the MRI magnetization of blood pool will have a more negative signal vector than the MRI magnetization of healthy organ tissue; e. after waiting the period of time, acquiring magnetic resonance data from the organ tissue of interest; and f. generating a black blood image based on said acquired magnetic resonance data with a phase sensitive reconstruction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for black-blood magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when administering an MRI contrast agent and waiting for the MRI contrast agent to arrive at the organ tissue of interest, the system providing blood signal suppression that is independent of blood flow velocity and blood exchange, the system comprising:
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an RF transmitter configured to apply an RF pulse sequence having (i) a preparatory section that reduces the MRI magnetization of the organ tissue more than the MRI magnetization of blood pool, and (ii) an inversion RF pulse following the preparatory section; a sequencer coupled to the RF transmitter that, after controlling the RF transmitter to apply the pulse sequence, is configured to wait a wait time period which is independent of blood flow, the wait time period selected so that (i) the MRI magnetization of healthy organ tissue will be different than the MRI magnetization of diseased organ tissue due to differences in organ tissue accumulation of the MRI contrast agent, and (ii) the MRI magnetization of blood pool will have a more negative signal vector than the MRI magnetization of healthy organ tissue; an RF receiver coupled to the sequencer, the receiver acquiring magnetic resonance data after waiting the selected wait time period; and at least one computer operatively coupled to the RF receiver, the computer using a phase sensitive reconstruction to generate a black blood image based on said acquired magnetic resonance data the RF receiver acquires after the sequencer waits the wait time period. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification