Markers of low field NMR relaxation features of tissues.

This work presents an approach to exploiting Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry data (H spin-lattice relaxation rates covering the frequency range from below 1 kHz to 10 MHz) for the purpose of differentiating between pathological and reference tissues. Characteristic quantities (markers) that can be obtained in a straightforward manner, not resorting to an advanced analysis of H spin-lattice relaxation data, have been identified and compared for pathological and reference colon tissues. Moreover, the relaxation data have been parametrised in terms of Lorentzian spectral densities and the possibility of using the obtained dipolar relaxation constants and correlation times as biomarkers to assess the state of tissues has been discussed.

Correction of environmental magnetic fields for the acquisition of Nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion profiles below Earth's field.

T relaxation times can be measured at a range of magnetic field strengths by Fast Field-Cycling (FFC) NMR relaxometry to provide T-dispersion curves. These are valuable tools for the investigation of material properties as they provide information about molecular dynamics non-invasively. However, accessing information at fields below 230 μT (10kHz proton Larmor frequency) requires careful correction of unwanted environmental magnetic fields.