Inventors:
John S. Leigh - Philadelphia PA
John A. Detre - Philadelphia PA
Donald S. Williams - Pittsburgh PA
Alan P. Koretsky - Pittsburgh PA
Assignee:
Trustees of the University of Penna - Philadelpha PA
Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh PA
International Classification:
A61B 5055
Abstract:
Methods for measuring the perfusion of fluid in a substance are shown to include subjecting the fluid to electromagnetic energy so as to cause a response related to the magnetization of the fluid before it enters the substance, performing magnetic resonance measurements on the substance to generate intensity information and processing the intensity information to determine perfusion. In one embodiment of the invention, perfusion is measured by labeling atoms in the fluid at a base point, generating a steady state in the substance by continuing to label atoms until the effect caused by labeled atoms perfusing in the substance, reaches a steady state, generating image information for the substance and processing the image information to determine perfusion. It is preferred to label atoms by applying magnetic resonance perturbation. In one embodiment the labeling of atoms involves saturating spins associated with the atoms.