Patent ID: 6597937
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: A61B,G01R

Abstract:
A method of magnetic resonance imaging, comprising:acquiring a baseline magnetic resonance image of a region of interest in the absence of a contrast agent; simulating an increase in image intensity of a subregion of interest within the region of interest, the subregion being subject to increased image intensity in the presence of a contrast agent; correlating magnetic resonance k-space signal intensity with contrast agent concentration in the subregion; administering a contrast agent to the subject; acquiring k-space data for the region of interest; monitoring the k-space data signal intensity to derive contrast agent concentration information; detecting a peak contrast agent concentration from the monitored k-space data signal intensity; after the peak contrast agent concentration is detected, immediately adjusting the phase encoding so that k-space data with zero phase encoding is acquired.