| CPC A61M 5/007 (2013.01) [A61B 5/055 (2013.01); A61B 6/481 (2013.01); G01R 33/543 (2013.01); G01R 33/5601 (2013.01); G01R 33/5608 (2013.01); G16H 30/40 (2018.01); A61M 2205/3303 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3379 (2013.01); A61M 2205/50 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A method comprising:
simulating, with a computer system comprising one or more processors, a plurality of parameters associated with one or more resonant species in a volume in an object using a model that simulates distribution of a contrast agent and behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object in response to magnetic resonance (MR) excitation being applied to the one or more resonant species over time in a series of sequence blocks, wherein, in each sequence block in the series of sequence blocks, the plurality of parameters occur simultaneously in the model that simulates the distribution of the contrast agent and the behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object, wherein at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters varies from the sequence block to another sequence block in the series of sequence blocks, and wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one contrast related parameter associated with a simulated concentration of the contrast agent in the model that simulates the distribution of the contrast agent and the behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object over time in the series of sequence blocks;
generating and storing, with the computer system, in association with the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object, in a database, a signal evolution based on the plurality of parameters simulated with the model, wherein the signal evolution defines the at least one contrast related parameter over time in the series of sequence blocks at two or more values, and wherein the at least one contrast related parameter defined by the signal evolution includes the simulated concentration of the contrast agent in the model that simulates the distribution of the contrast agent and the behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object over time in the series of sequence blocks;
controlling, with the computer system, an injector to deliver the contrast agent to a patient to provide, in a blood pool of the patient over time, a concentration of the contrast agent corresponding to the simulated concentration of the contrast agent as defined by the at least one contrast related parameter of the signal evolution stored in the database;
controlling, with the computer system, when the concentration of the contrast agent is provided in the blood pool of the patient over time as defined by the at least one contrast related parameter of the signal evolution stored in the database, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus to apply radio frequency (RF) energy to a volume in the patient in another series of sequence blocks to expose the volume in the patient to MR excitation in the another series of sequence blocks, wherein the MR excitation in each sequence block in the another series of sequence blocks causes one or more resonant species in the volume in the patient to simultaneously produce individual signals in that sequence block;
controlling, with the computer system, the NMR apparatus to acquire the simultaneously produced individual signals in each sequence block in the another series of sequence blocks, wherein another signal evolution is determined based on the simultaneously produced individual signals acquired from each sequence block; and
matching, with the computer system, the another signal evolution to the signal evolution stored in the database to identify the one or more resonant species that produced the another signal evolution in response to the MR excitation being applied to the one or more resonant species.
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15. A computing system comprising:
one or more processors programmed or configured to:
simulate a plurality of parameters associated with one or more resonant species in a volume in an object using a model that simulates distribution of a contrast agent and behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object in response to magnetic resonance (MR) excitation being applied to the one or more resonant species over time in a series of sequence blocks, wherein, in each sequence block in the series of sequence blocks, the plurality of parameters occur simultaneously in the model that simulates the distribution of the contrast agent and the behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object, wherein at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters varies from the sequence block to another sequence block in the series of sequence blocks, and wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one contrast related parameter associated with a simulated concentration of the contrast agent in the model that simulates the distribution of the contrast agent and the behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object over time in the series of sequence blocks;
generate and store, in association with the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object, in a database, a signal evolution based on the plurality of parameters simulated with the model, wherein the signal evolution defines the at least one contrast related parameter over time in the series of sequence blocks at two or more values, and wherein the at least one contrast related parameter defined by the signal evolution includes the simulated concentration of the contrast agent in the model that simulates the distribution of the contrast agent and the behavior of the one or more resonant species in the volume in the object over time in the series of sequence blocks;
control an injector to deliver the contrast agent to a patient to provide, in a blood pool of the patient over time, a concentration of the contrast agent corresponding to the simulated concentration of the contrast agent as defined by the at least one contrast related parameter of the signal evolution stored in the database;
control, when the concentration of the contrast agent is provided in the blood pool of the patient over time as defined by the at least one contrast related parameter of the signal evolution stored in the database, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus to apply radio frequency (RF) energy to a volume in the patient in another series of sequence blocks to expose the volume in the patient to MR excitation in the another series of sequence blocks, wherein the MR excitation in each sequence block in the another series of sequence blocks causes one or more resonant species in the volume in the patient to simultaneously produce individual signals in that sequence block;
control the NMR apparatus to acquire the simultaneously produced individual signals in each sequence block in the another series of sequence blocks, wherein another signal evolution is determined based on the simultaneously produced individual signals acquired from each sequence block; and
match the another signal evolution to the signal evolution stored in the database to identify the one or more resonant species that produced the another signal evolution in response to the MR excitation being applied to the one or more resonant species.
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