Method of determining the direction of application of gradient magnetic field for the detection of diffusive motion, method of measuring the diffusion coefficient, and MRI apparatus

摘要

For determining appropriately the direction of diffusive motion detecting gradient magnetic field to be applied for the measurement of the diffusion coefficient of a region of interest, a determining method produces three diffusion-weighted images by use of imaging pulse sequences which apply diffusive motion detecting gradient magnetic fields (MPG) along the x axis, y axis and z axis: (steps S1-S3). It composes an image from the diffusion-weighted images by allotting red color, green color and blue color to the images: (step S4). It sets a region of interest on the intensity-inverted image: (step S6). It determines the direction of diffusive motion detecting gradient magnetic field (MPG) to be applied for the measurement of the diffusion coefficient of the region of interest based on the hue of the region of interest on the intensity-inverted image: (step S7). It applies the diffusive motion detecting gradient magnetic field (MPG) in the determined direction to measure the diffusion coefficient of the volume of the region of interest by use of a diffusion coefficient measuring pulse sequence: (steps S8, S9).