Relaxation rates of paramagnetic solutions: evaluation by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

Methods for accurate calculation of nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times are presented. Data from inversion recovery sequences with different delay times were fitted to derive T1 information on water solutions of paramagnetic ions. T2 values of the same samples were obtained by fitting signals from a multiecho sequence. According to the theory, for the field strength used (0.5 T), T1's and T2's are nearly equal and the enhancement of relaxation rates is found to be directly proportional to molar concentration. Tests performed suggest the opportunity of using the same approach in studies of tissues.