Patent ID: 7298142

Claim:
A method for obtaining a parameter of interest relating to a region investigated by utilizing a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tool capable of generating a magnetic field B and a pulse sequence suitable for investigating the region, the tool being responsive to a magnetic field gradient G, the nuclei of the region being subjected to the pulse sequence, the nuclei of the region characteristically having a longitudinal relaxation time T 1 distribution and an apparent transverse relaxation time T 2app distribution, the NMR tool being capable of producing NMR data responsive to the nuclei, wherein the method comprising: in response to the produced NMR data, defining an R distribution in a processor as a function of T 1 /T 2app , processing in independent bins within the processor the T 2app and R distributions along with the produced NMR data according to an inversion model, providing a signal intensity map of R versus T 2app that is representative of the parameter of interest, and subsequently in response to a defined-intensity signal on the map where T 2app and R are each confined, respectively, within defined ranges, identifying the parameter of interest within the region; and wherein a recording of the signal intensity map occurs in or on a recordable medium for use by an end user.