Adaptive and interactive assessment of tissue properties in MR imaging

摘要

Embodiments relate to evaluating properties of tissues with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A MR image is used to measure a characteristic that influences a particular chemical property of a tissue. In an exemplary embodiment, tissue transverse relaxation values or relaxation rates, which can readily be measured from MR images, are used to evaluate iron deposition in tissue. Iron deposition influences the tissue transverse relaxation values (T2 or T2*) or relaxation rates (R2=1/T2 or R2*=1/T2*). A clinically relevant R2CR* map is calculated based on the known values of the effective R2eff*, the water R2w*, and the fat R2f* by incorporating the most relevant value for each individual image element of a plurality of image elements of an MR image of the tissue. The clinically relevant R2CR* map provides an accurate evaluation of iron deposition in any region of the tissue with the use of one map.

主权项

1. A system for evaluating properties of tissue from Magnetic Resonance (MR) signal data of the tissue, the system comprising:
an image data processor configured to select, for each individual image element of a plurality of individual image elements of an MR image of the tissue, a particular parameter from a plurality of parameters of the tissue; and a display processor configured to generate data representing the MR image using the particular parameter to represent the individual image element, wherein the plurality of parameters include a first parameter associated with water, a second parameter associated with a fat/water mixture having a fat percentage FP determined for the individual image element, and a third parameter associated with fat; wherein a and b are constants selected for the MR image such that 0≦a≦b≦1; and wherein the particular parameter is equal to:
the first parameter when FP≦a;the second parameter when ab.