ABSTRACT
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the leading noninvasive imaging techniques in clinical diagnostics as well as in research settings. e success of MRI partly results from its ability to produce detailed anatomical images of living subjects with resolutions down to typically 1 mm for clinical scanners and even lower than 50 μm with high- eld MRI scanners. Even more important is that, apart from the anatomical information, MRI is also able to provide metabolic and physiological parameters, such as the perfusion of tissues and heart function. Contrast agents are frequently used in MRI examinations, for example, to enhance the local contrast in pathological tissue or for imaging of the vasculature (Strijkers et al., 2007).
