US 12,405,333 B2
Magnetic resonance imaging of glycogen and other polysaccharides by magnetic coupling with water
Peter van Zijl, Baltimore, MD (US); Yang Zhou, Baltimore, MD (US); and Nirbhay N. Yadav, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (US); and Kennedy Krieger Institute, Inc., Baltimore, MD (US)
Appl. No. 18/037,726
Filed by The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (US); and Kennedy Krieger Institute, Inc., Baltimore, MD (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 19, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/060214
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 18, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/115339, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 2, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/117,774, filed on Nov. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0408611 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. G01V 3/00 (2006.01); G01R 33/48 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/4828 (2013.01) 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for magnetic resonance imaging of polysaccharide molecules, comprising:
a primary magnet configured to provide a magnetic field that is sufficiently homogeneous over an imaging volume;
a magnetic gradient coil configured to generate a spatial encoding in the magnetic field;
a radiofrequency coil configured to acquire one or more water proton signal intensity measurements at each of a plurality of voxels within the imaging volume, wherein said signal intensity measurements are acquired in each voxel at a one or more irradiation frequencies, said irradiation frequencies at lower parts-per-million (ppm) than a baseline frequency associated with free water protons; and
a data processor configured to:
generate, based on the water proton signal intensity measurements in each voxel, a water proton signal intensity map of the relayed Nuclear Overhauser Effect (rNOE) exchange process of aliphatic protons in the polysaccharide molecules to free water protons in the imaging volume; and
generate, using a calibration of the water proton signal intensity measurements for said rNOE exchange process, a concentration map of the polysaccharide molecules in the imaging volume.