The spatial mapping of translational diffusion coefficients by the NMR imaging technique

With the recent development of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging it is important to characterise and understand the NMR response of tissues. There are several reasons why such characterisation of tissues using NMR parameters would be useful. It may provide a helpful diagnostic guide and could lead to a deeper understanding of the underlying processes responsible for many pathological and physiological states of tissues. For several years, hydrogen density, spin-lattice relaxation and spin-spin relaxation maps of objects have been obtained using the NMR imaging technique. The authors have developed a method for the spatial mapping of an additional NMR parameter, the molecular translational diffusion coefficient D. In addition the technique will permit the measurement of perfusion and blood flow rates.