Inventors:
Denis LeBihan - Rockville MD
Jose Delannoy - Chevy Chase MD
Ronald L. Levin - Silver Spring MD
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health
and Human Services - Washington DC
International Classification:
G01K 700
Abstract:
A method of determining and imaging the temperature or temperature change of a liquid or solid object by NMR placing the object in a magnetic field B. sub. o at a temperature T. sub. o. sup. i, subjecting the object or a limited volume thereof to a first series of NMR imaging sequences to obtain first numerical values or images of molecular diffusion coefficients D. sub. o for individual points of the object or the limited volume thereof and recording the first series of images, maintaining the object or limited volume thereof at a temperature T. sup. i or waiting for a spontaneous change to the temperature, subjecting the object to a second series of magnetic resonance imaging sequences to obtain second numerical values or images of molecular diffusion coefficients D. sup. i for the same points of the object or the limited volume thereof and recording the second series of images, comparing point-by point the values or images of the diffusion coefficients D. sub. o. sup. i with the values or images of the diffusion coefficients D. sup.