G01R33/5601

Method for performing an angiographic measurement
11243285 · 2022-02-08 · ·

A method is for performing an angiographic measurement of a main measurement region of a patient via a magnetic resonance system. An embodiment of the method includes performing at least one overview measurement to generate overview-measurement data; defining, using the overview-measurement data, the main measurement region and a first measurement region, the first measurement region differing from the main measurement region; performing a first time-resolved measurement in the first measurement region defined to generate first time-resolved measurement data; detecting an injected contrast agent bolus in the first measurement region using the first time-resolved measurement data; determining a flow rate of the injected contrast agent bolus detected; setting at least one measurement parameter of the angiographic measurement according to the flow rate determined; and performing the angiographic measurement of the main measurement region of the patient in the magnetic resonance system using the at least one measurement parameter set.

Interleaved black and bright blood imaging for interleaved dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

A magnetic resonance system (10), and corresponding method, image a subject using a conversion-free interleaved black and bright blood imaging (cfIBBI) sequence. A MR scanner (12) is controlled to perform a plurality of repetitions of a black blood imaging sequence (52). The black blood imaging sequence (52) includes a tissue nulling sub-sequence followed by a black blood acquisition sub-sequence (56) performed a time interval (TI) after the tissue nulling sub-sequence. The MR scanner (12) is further controlled to, between successive repetitions of the black blood imaging sequence (52), perform a bright blood imaging sequence (54) including the tissue nulling sub-sequence followed by a bright blood acquisition sub-sequence (58) performed the time interval (TI) after the tissue nulling sub-sequence. The time intervals (TI) of the black blood imaging sequence (52) and the bright blood imaging sequence (54) are of the same duration.

Imaging fiducial markers and methods

An implantable tissue marker incorporates a contrast agent sealed within a chamber in a container formed from a solid material. The contrast agent is selected to produce a change, such as an increase, in signal intensity under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An additional contrast agent may also be sealed within the chamber to provide visibility under another imaging modality, such as computed tomographic (CT) imaging or ultrasound imaging.

Method and apparatus for acquiring a high-resolution magnetic resonance image dataset of at least one limited body region having at least one anatomical structure of a patient
09747702 · 2017-08-29 · ·

In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for acquiring a high-resolution magnetic resonance image dataset of at least one limited body region having at least one anatomical structure of a patient, an overview image dataset is first acquired, using which an item of position information of the at least one anatomical structure is ascertained, the item of position information designating an exact position of the at least one anatomical structure and/or a relative position of the at least one anatomical structure relative to the reference body region. A high-resolution magnetic resonance image dataset of the anatomical structure is then created using the position information and the high-resolution magnetic resonance image dataset is evaluated. The evaluated high-resolution image data is then made available in electronic form.

Cell size imaging

In the various embodiments, cell size imaging is performed using a method that relies upon the acquisition of gradient echo and spin echo data during contrast agent (CA) passage through tissue and estimation of “perturber” size using the ratio of ΔR.sub.2* and ΔR.sub.2. When measured at CA equilibrium, the magnetic field perturbations, and associated MRI signal changes, are determined by the cellular features and not the vasculature. Thus, in cell size imaging the cells act as the perturbers.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with segmented data acquisition
09739858 · 2017-08-22 · ·

To provide an imaging technique suitable for acquiring an image with reduced artifacts due to differences in signal intensity. An MR apparatus 100 acquires, in data acquisition periods A1, A2, and A3, data at part of grid points lying closer to a high-frequency region RH within a low-frequency region RL, and data at part of grid points lying closer to the low-frequency region RL within the high-frequency region RH. On the other hand, in a data acquisition period B, it acquires data at another part of grid points lying closer to the high-frequency region RH within the low-frequency region RL, and data at another part of grid points lying closer to the low-frequency region RL within the high-frequency region RH.

METHOD AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE APPARATUS SCAR QUANTIFICATION IN THE MYOCARDIUM
20170231523 · 2017-08-17 · ·

In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for determining a fraction of scar tissue in the myocardium of an examination person, magnetization of nuclear spins is prepared by radiation of a preparation pulse in the myocardium, and MR signals are acquired for multiple MR images while the magnetization returns to equilibrium. The multiple MR images are brought into registration with each other, so a movement of the heart between MR images is compensated. T1 times are determined using this sequence of compensated MR images. Different MR template images with different contrasts are calculated at different times after radiation of the preparation pulse, using the calculated T1 times. A myocardial contour is determined using one of the template images that has a first contrast. Scar tissue in the myocardium is determined using another template image that has a second contrast that differs from the first contrast.

ENHANCEMENTS TO QUANTITATIVE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNIQUES
20220308147 · 2022-09-29 ·

Systems and methods providing enhancements to quantitative imaging systems and techniques are described herein. In one aspect, a system for tissue quantification in magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) comprises a feature extraction module operable to convert pixel input high-dimensional signal evolution in to a low-dimensional feature map. The system also comprises a spatially constrained quantification module operable to capture spatial information from the low-dimensional feature map and generate an estimated tissue property map.

ROBUST DUAL ECHO DIXON IMAGING WITH FLEXIBLE ECHO TIMES
20170234952 · 2017-08-17 ·

A method for creating a first MRI image and a second MRI image is provided. A first echo is read out. A second echo is read out. The first echo readout is used to generate a first image set, with each image pixel being a first linear combination of the first species and the second species. The second echo readout is used to generate a second image set, with each image pixel being a second linear combination of the first species and the second species. The first image set and second image set are combined to obtain a first combined image containing only the first species and a second combined image containing only the second species, comprising combining the first image set and the second image set to generate two pairs of solutions and using a mathematical optimization to choose a correct pair of solutions.

AUTOMATICALLY IDENTIFYING SCAR AREAS WITHIN ORGANIC TISSUE USING MULTIPLE IMAGING MODALITIES

A method and apparatus for implementing scar tissue identification using a processor coupled to a memory is disclosed. The method and apparatus receive a first modality and a second modality. The first modality is of a first type. The second modality is of a second type, which is different from the first type. Each of the first modality and the second modality respectively describe organic tissue of a patient according to the first and second types. The method and apparatus cross reference the first modality and the second modality and generates improved image data for the first modality based on the cross referencing. The image data includes enhanced accuracy over or higher resolution than original data of the first modality.