System And Apparatus For Combined Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Magnetic Spectroscopy of Brownian Motion And/Or Magnetic Nanoparticle Imaging

摘要

A system for measuring responses of magnetic nanoparticles has static magnetic bias field along first axis, and AC driving coils providing AC magnetic field along second axis perpendicular to the first axis, both fields passing through an imaging zone. Sensing coils are oriented to sense fields parallel to the first axis, but not parallel to the second axis. A processor determines responses of nanoparticles in the imaging zone to the AC field. Another system has DC bias on first axis and AC driving coils providing an AC magnetic field along a second axes, magnetic gradient oriented along the first and/or second axis, and the second axis is rotated mechanically or electronically. The signal processor provides a voxel-based model of magnetic nanoparticle distribution in imaging zone. In some embodiments, the static magnet is a main magnet of a magnetic resonance imaging system.

主权项

1. A system for measuring a response of magnetic nanoparticles in an imaging zone comprises:
a static magnet configured to provide a static bias field oriented parallel to a first axis, the static bias field passing through the imaging zone; at least a first driving coil configured to provide an alternating current (AC) magnetic field along a second axis, the alternating magnetic field passing through the imaging zone, the second axis perpendicular to the first axis; apparatus for providing at least one static magnetic field gradient with the field oriented along an axis selected from the first and second axis, and the gradient in the field along at least one axis selected from the group consisting of the first axis, the second axis, and a third axis mutually perpendicular to the first and second axis; at least one sensing coil oriented to provide a detected signal by sensing changes in a magnetic field parallel to the first axis, and further oriented to minimize sensing of changes in a magnetic field parallel to the second axis; and a signal processing subsystem configured to determine a response of magnetic nanoparticles in the imaging zone to the AC magnetic field based upon the detected signal.