Patent ID: 7295006

Claim:
A method for measuring nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) longitudinal axis relaxation time T 1 of blood, the method comprising: applying a first magnetic field M O to a living body portion into which the blood flows in order to magnetize the blood in a first direction; applying a second magnetic field M Z to at least a portion of the living body portion, to which the first magnetic field M O is applied, in order to magnetize at least a portion of the blood that flows in the first direction, in a second direction vertical to the first direction; controlling application of the second magnetic field M Z ; blocking the second magnetic field M Z ; when the second magnetic field M Z is blocked, detecting a signal that is induced as magnetization is returned from the second direction to the first direction; detecting an amount of the blood flowing into the living body portion to which the second magnetic field M Z is applied; and calculating the longitudinal axis relaxation time T 1 of the blood based on the induced signal and based on the blood amount to which the second magnetic M Z field is applied to reduce an influence of the blood amount on the longitudinal axis relaxation time of the blood.