The present invention discloses a method for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging comprising acquiring at least two MR images with different motion-weighting originating from a RF and gradient pulse sequence causing signal attenuation from diffusion but not flow (flow-compensated data); acquiring at least two MR images with different motion-weighting originating from a RF and gradient pulse sequence causing signal attenuation from diffusion and flow (non-compensated data); performing a model fit to the flow-compensated and non-compensated data in which at least one of the adjustable parameters are constrained to be the same for both sets of data; and obtaining quantitative information on microscopic flow by extracting at least one parameter of the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) effect from the model fit, said method being directed to diffusion-perfusion.

Systems and methods are disclosed for assessing the quality of medical images of at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, using a computer system. One method includes receiving one or more images of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy; determining, using a processor of the computer system, one or more image properties of the received images; performing, using a processor of the computer system, anatomic localization or modeling of at least a portion of the patient's anatomy based on the received images; obtaining an identification of one or more image characteristics associated with an anatomic feature of the patient's anatomy based on the anatomic localization or modeling; and calculating, using a processor of the computer system, an image quality score based on the one or more image properties and the one or more image characteristics.

The invention provides for a medical imaging system (100, 300) comprising a processor (106) for controlling the medical imaging system. Execution of machine executable instructions (112) causes the processor to receive (200) a static angiographic image (114) of a region of interest (322), receive (202) a time series of angiographic images (116, 116) of the region of interest, construct (204) an image mask (118) using the static angiographic image, determine (206) a time dependent signal (120) for each voxel within the image mask using the time series of angiographic images, construct (208) a composite angiographic image by: assigning (210) a fill time (126) to each voxel within the image mask using an extremum (124) of the time dependent signal if the extremum deviates from an average of the time dependent signal more than a predetermined threshold, and identifying (212) voxels within the image mask as being unfilled voxels.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry performs at least one of data collection for collecting first data of an imaging region of a subject at a plurality of time intervals after a tag pulse is applied to fluid flowing into the imaging region, and data collection for collecting second data of the imaging region by differing at least one of applying or not-applying the tag pulse and a position of the applying. The processing circuitry performs phase correction for at least one of the first data and the second data by using data in which the longitudinal magnetization of the fluid is a positive value, to generate an image for each time phase.

There is provided a method of processing a cerebrovascular medical image, the method comprising receiving magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) image associated with a cerebrovascular tissue comprising blood vessels and brain tissues other than blood vessels; segmenting MRA image using a prior appearance model for generating first prior appearance features representing a first-order prior appearance model and second appearance features representing a second-order prior appearance model of the cerebrovascular tissue, wherein current appearance model comprises a 3D Markov-Gibbs Random Field (MGRF) having a 2D rotational and translational symmetry such that MGRF model is 2D rotation and translation invariant; segmenting MRA image using current appearance model for generating current appearance features distinguishing blood vessels from other brain tissues; adjusting MRA image using first and second prior appearance features and current appearance futures; and generating an enhanced MRA image based on said adjustment. There is also provided a system for doing the same.

Automatically performing a serial examination flow including, for example, positioning, imaging, and post processing enables reducing a burden placed on the user by a manual operation and improving examination efficiency. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a computation unit that performs action control of the entire apparatus and computation and an imaging unit that performs imaging according to control performed by the computation unit, wherein the computation unit includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of examination flow data each defining a processing flow of at least one of imaging processing, post processing, display processing, and transfer processing, and stores a plurality of keywords respectively indicating contents of at least a part of the examination flow data, an input unit that receives an input instruction issued by a user for executing a desired examination, and an examination flow control unit that selects the examination flow data corresponding to the input instruction and causes processing defined by the selected examination flow data to be performed.

Provided is a technique for deriving a mathematical function for defining arterial and venous blood flow in the body by using a four-dimensional medical image. A method of analyzing blood flow by using a medical image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: determining a position of a blood vessel from four-dimensional medical image data that is obtained by combining data of three-dimensional medical images of a patient's body captured at a preset period; deriving a primary function for an arterial input function and a venous output function by using a vascular signal in a head region and a vascular signal in a heart region from among vascular signals included in three-dimensional medical image data for the position of the blood vessel determined in the determining; and deriving a secondary function that is a final function for the arterial input function and the venous output function by using the primary function and a vascular signal in a neck region.

A phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) system and method employing a Hybrid One- and Two-sided Flow Encoding Only (HOTFEO) acquisition scheme for accurate blood flow and velocity measurements of three-directional-velocity-encoding PC-MRI.

A magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging method and device. The method comprises: applying a set pulse sequence into an imaging region, wherein the set pulse sequence comprises, in chronological order, a Delay Alternating with Nutation for Tailored Excitation (DANTE) pulse train, a variable flip angle train of a three-dimensional fast spin echo (SPACE), and a flip-down pulse train (S110); acquiring a magnetic resonance signal generated in the imaging region, and reconstructing a magnetic resonance images of the vessel wall in the imaging region according to the magnetic resonance signal (S120). By adding the flip-down pulse train behind the variable flip angle train of the three-dimensional fast spin echo (SPACE), the cerebrospinal fluid signals of the whole brain can be further suppressed effectively and uniformly, and the DANTE pulse train promotes the vessel wall imaging of the head and neck jointing portion.

Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for treating patients with ultrasound targeted at regions of the brain. An ultrasound transducer is positioned on a patient's head to target a region of the patient's brain for ultrasound therapy. An ultrasound wave is emitted at the target region of the patient's brain. At least partially concurrently, a fMRI imaging device generates real time images of activity in the patient's brain, for example by ASL protocol, BOLD protocol, or a combination thereof. Activity in the patient's brain caused by the ultrasound wave is detected, typically a distance from the target region. The transducer is repositioned or reoriented to correct for and better target the region, and another series of ultrasound waves are directed at the target region with improved accuracy.