Theoretical-experimental comparison of contrast in magnetic resonance

The intensity of MR signal depends on several parameters, such as proton density N(H)], relaxation times (T1 and T2), repetition time (TR), and echo time (TE). A theoretical model describes this dependence, which is currently employed for image optimization. It allows the evaluation of image contrast once the tissue parameters are known. The above-mentioned theoretical model was tested with the use of CuSO4 samples at various concentrations for which T1 and T2 values were known from the literature. Our unit was an ESATOM MR 5000 which employed a 0.5 Tesla magnetic field. We used spin-echo sequences with TR = 500, 1000 ms and TE ranging from 50 to 150 ms. Signal intensity was measured both by direct access to the data matrix and with the use of the pixel intensity calculation program for regions of interest. The difference in the signals corresponding to the various samples were determined to evaluate the contrast. Our results are in strict agreement with those from the theoretical model. The latter can thus be employed for image optimization.