Proton relaxation in a multicompartmental system with exchange, simulating human tissue.

The proton magnetic resonance behaviour of human tissue was simulated with a numerical model in which the resonating nuclei were assumed to belong to five different compartments of defined relative sizes and with distinct relaxation properties. Effects of various proton exchange rates between the compartments were included in the model. The time evolution of longitudinal and transverse macroscopic magnetizations was calculated. Applications of this model in magnetic resonance imaging are discussed.