Patent ID: 8121668

Claim:
A method for producing, with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, an image indicative of an imaging volume within a subject, the steps comprising: a) acquiring from the imaging volume, a saturated image data set that is sensitized to at least one blood flow velocity by directing the MRI system to perform a pulse sequence that includes: i) applying a tagging saturation radio frequency (“RF”) pulse to a localized region within the imaging volume; ii) repeating step a)i) a plurality of times so that magnetization of blood flowing into the imaging volume at substantially only the at least one selected blood flow velocity from the localized region is substantially saturated; iii) acquiring the saturated image data set following step a)ii); b) acquiring from the imaging volume, a non-saturated image data set by directing the MRI system to perform a pulse sequence that acquires the non-saturated image data set such that magnetization of blood flowing into the imaging volume is substantially not saturated; c) reconstructing a saturated image from the saturated image data set; d) reconstructing a non-saturated image from the non-saturated image data set; and e) producing, by subtracting the saturated image from the non-saturated image, a difference image indicative of blood flow in the imaging volume within the subject that occurs at the at least one blood flow velocity.