Method and apparatus using magnetic resonance imaging for cancer identification

US8605980B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Oregon Health & Science University · US

Inventors

• Xin Li · San Jose, US
• Charles S. Springer, Jr. · Portland, US
• William Rooney · Miller Place, US
• Wei Huang · Tainan, TW
• Jingang Xu · Hillsboro, US
• Ian J. Tagge · Portland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 7, 2009
• Grant date: Dec 10, 2013
• Expiry date: Jun 12, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/5608
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Embodiments provide a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique and optionally software—collectively referred to as the “shutter-speed” model—to analyze image data of cancer patients. Embodiments provide a minimally invasive, yet precisely accurate, approach to determining whether tumors are malignant or benign by distinguishing the characteristics of contrast reagent activity in benign and malignant tumors. Exemplary embodiments provide MRI measured biomarkers for tumor malignancy determination, effectively eliminating or limiting the false positives suffered by existing MRI techniques.