Abstract: An apparatus for imaging includes: a main magnet to generate a substantially uniform main B0 magnetic field through an examination region; and a coil system including a first coil layer and a second coil layer disposed substantially parallel to the first coil layer with a defined air gap in a radial direction, the first coil layer including a first coil array, the second coil layer including a second coil array, the first and second coil arrays being coupled and cooperating to selectively produce a prespecified B1 magnetic field within the examination region.

Abstract: An apparatus for imaging includes: a main magnet to generate a substantially uniform main B0 magnetic field through an examination region; and a coil system including a first coil layer and a second coil layer disposed substantially parallel to the first coil layer with a defined air gap in a radial direction, the first coil layer including a first coil array, the second coil layer including a second coil array, the first and second coil arrays being coupled and cooperating to selectively produce a prespecified B1 magnetic field within the examination region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the redox status of a region of interest in an animal tissue. The method includes administering a nitroxyl contrast agent to the region of interest, obtaining a magnetic resonance image of the region of interest, determining the amount of reduced nitroxyl contrast agent in the region of interest, and thereby determining the redox status of the region of interest.

Abstract: Methods for measuring the perfusion of fluid in a substance are shown to include subjecting the fluid to electromagnetic energy so as to cause a response related to the magnetization of the fluid before it enters the substance, performing magnetic resonance measurements on the substance to generate intensity information and processing the intensity information to determine perfusion. In one embodiment of the invention, perfusion is measured by labeling atoms in the fluid at a base point, generating a steady state in the substance by continuing to label atoms until the effect caused by labeled atoms perfusing in the substance, reaches a steady state, generating image information for the substance and processing the image information to determine perfusion. It is preferred to label atoms by applying magnetic resonance perturbation. In one embodiment the labeling of atoms involves saturating spins associated with the atoms.

Abstract: The discovery has been made that coil-to-ground parasitic losses substantially reduce the sensitivity of a nuclear magnetic resonance probe used in nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of lossy dielectic (i.e., relatively conductive) samples, such as biological tissue. A probe circuit is disclosed in which a balancing impedance is inserted for substantially reducing the influence of coil-to-ground parasitics. The probe circuit resulting from the insertion of the balancing impedance markedly increases sensitivity. Concomittantly, the quality factor of the probe circuit and the signal-to-noise ratio of nuclear magnetic resonance signals are substantially improved. The disclosed probe circuit can be incorporated in nuclear magnetic resonance analysis systems where the sample coil is either implanted or placed on the surface of a sample; where the sample coil forms a portion of a large-scale imaging system; or the sample coil is used in a traditional analytical mode with a sample contained in a glass tube.