Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) goes beyond conventional MRI, which aims primarily at local image contrast. It provides specific physical parameters related to the nuclear spin of protons in water, such as relaxation times. These parameters carry information about the local microstructural environment of the protons (such as myelin in the brain). Non-invasive in vivo histology using MRI (hMRI) aims to use this information to directly characterize biological tissue microstructure, partially replacing or complementing classical invasive histology. The understanding of MRI tissue contrast provided by hMRI is, in turn, crucial for further improvements of qMRI, and they should be considered closely interlinked. We discuss concepts, models and validation approaches, pointing out challenges and the latest advances in this field. Further, we point out links to physics, including computational and analytical approaches and developments in materials science and photonics, that aid in reference data acquisition and model validation.

定量磁共振成像 (qMRI) 超越了主要针对局部图像对比度的传统 MRI。它提供了与水中质子的核自旋相关的特定物理参数，例如弛豫时间。这些参数携带有关质子（例如大脑中的髓鞘）的局部微结构环境的信息。使用 MRI (hMRI) 的非侵入性体内组织学旨在利用这些信息直接表征生物组织的微观结构，部分替代或补充经典的侵入性组织学。反过来，对 hMRI 提供的 MRI 组织对比度的理解对于 qMRI 的进一步改进至关重要，它们应被视为密切相关。我们讨论概念、模型和验证方法，指出该领域的挑战和最新进展。更多，