Magnetic resonance imaging of living systems by remote detection

US8570035B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• David Wemmer · Berkeley, US
• Alexander Pines · Berkeley, US
• Louis Bouchard · Los Angeles, US
• Shoujun Xu · Houston, US
• Elad Harel · Chicago, US
• Dmitry Budker · Corona, US
• Thomas Lowery · Belmont, US
• Micah Ledbetter · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 12, 2008
• Grant date: Oct 29, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 8, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/0322
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A novel approach to magnetic resonance imaging is disclosed. Blood flowing through a living system is prepolarized, and then encoded. The polarization can be achieved using permanent or superconducting magnets. The polarization may be carried out upstream of the region to be encoded or at the place of encoding. In the case of an MRI of a brain, polarization of flowing blood can be effected by placing a magnet over a section of the body such as the heart upstream of the head. Alternatively, polarization and encoding can be effected at the same location. Detection occurs at a remote location, using a separate detection device such as an optical atomic magnetometer, or an inductive Faraday coil. The detector may be placed on the surface of the skin next to a blood vessel such as a jugular vein carrying blood away from the encoded region.