FAT AND IRON QUANTIFICATION USING MULTISTEP ADAPTIVE FITTING APPROACH WITH MULTIECHO MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved method for quantification of fat and iron using multiecho MRI.SOLUTION: The above-mentioned method comprises the steps of: determining a first water magnitude value and a first fat magnitude value, using two selected multiecho signal datasets; and executing a first-stage analysis in response to a determination that the multiecho signal datasets include at least three multiecho signal datasets. The first-stage analysis comprises the steps of: selecting a first effective transverse relaxation rate value; creating first algorithm inputs including the first water magnitude value, the first fat magnitude value, and the first effective transverse relaxation rate value; executing a nonlinear fitting algorithm on the basis of the first algorithm inputs to calculate a second water magnitude value, a second fat magnitude value, and a second effective transverse relaxation rate value; and determining a first proton density ratio value on the basis of the second water magnitude value and the second fat magnitude value.