Magnetic susceptibility derived from T 2 and T2*-weighted magnetic resonance magnitude images

Abstract

A method of measuring absolute magnetic susceptibility using T 2 and T2*-weighted magnetic resonance images is described. We used magnitude images derived from spin echo and gradient echo acquisitions, without the use of phase information. The findings are validated analytically and also using experimental phantoms. We show that a combination of magnetic resonance images can provide information needed to deduce the absolute susceptibility of the sample. Careful consideration of sample relaxation times and image acquisition parameters is required to ensure that calculations are accurate. We conducted an investigation of optimal imaging parameters and validated our results. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.