A Bloch-Torrey Equation for Diffusion in a Deforming Media

Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DTMRI) technique enables the measurement of diffusion parameters and therefore, informs on the structure of the biological tissue. This technique is applied with success to the static organs such as brain. However, the diffusion measurement on the dynamically deformable organs such as the in-vivo heart is a complex problem that has however a great potential in the measurement of cardiac health. In order to understand the behavior of the Magnetic Resonance (MR) signal in a deforming media, the Bloch-Torrey equation that leads the MR behavior is expressed in general curvilinear coordinates. These coordinates enable to follow the heart geometry and deformations through time. The equation is finally discretized and presented in a numerical formulation using implicit methods, in order to get a stable scheme that can be applied to any smooth deformations. Diffusion process enables the link between the macroscopic behavior of molecules and the microscopic structure in which they evolve. The measurement of diffusion in biological tissues is therefore of major importance in understanding the complex underlying structure that cannot be studied directly. The Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DTMRI) technique enables the measurement of diffusion parameters and therefore provides information on the structure of the biological tissue. This technique has been applied with success to static organs such as the brain. However, diffusion measurement of dynamically deformable organs such as the in-vivo heart remains a complex problem, which holds great potential in determining cardiac health. In order to understand the behavior of the magnetic resonance (MR) signal in a deforming media, the Bloch-Torrey equation that defines the MR behavior is expressed in general curvilinear coordinates. These coordinates enable us to follow the heart geometry and deformations through time. The equation is finally discretized and presented in a numerical formulation using implicit methods in order to derive a stable scheme that can be applied to any smooth deformations.