Methods and systems generate synthetic late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) magnetic resonance images using a magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) acquisition. From a single acquisition, MRF image data is obtained, including co-registered T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 tissue property maps. Different tissue regions of interest are identified, such as viable myocardium, scar, and blood and T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 values for each are determined. Based on these, different sets of pulse sequence parameters are determined, e.g., using different synthetic image contrast models receiving the MRF image data. Synthetic LGE images at different contrasts are generated as a result, including a synthetic bright-blood LGE image, a synthetic dark-blood/gray-blood LGE image, and a synthetic optimized imaged.

Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

A system and method is provided for acquiring flow encoded data from a subject using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The method includes acquiring flow encoded (FE) data with alternating encoding polarities and along two of three orthogonal directions through the subject over at least two cycles of the flow within the subject; and separating the FE data into directional FE datasets using a temporal filter that separates the FE data based on temporal modulation of the FE directions caused by the alternating encoding polarities extending over the at least two cycles of the flow within the subject that shift the Fourier spectrum of velocity waveforms corresponding to the FE data. The method also includes using the directional FE datasets to generate an image of the subject showing flow within the subject caused by the at least two cycles of flow within the subject.

In contrast-enhanced MRI, a visualization capability of a tissue which a contrast agent reaches is increased, and overall imaging time is shortened. An imaging unit of an MRI apparatus includes a gradient echo pulse sequence for acquiring a T1 weighted image including a fat saturation pulse, and a control unit performs control to generate images of a plurality of phases having different arrival positions of a contrast agent by repeating the pulse sequence for a predetermined time from administration of the contrast agent to the subject by the imaging unit. At this time, a preparation pulse that suppresses a signal from a contrast agent present outside a target tissue (cell) is added prior to a pulse sequence, in a phase immediately before reaching the target tissue.

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.

A method for phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) acquires undersampled PC-MRI data using a magnetic resonance imaging scanner and reconstructs MRI images from the undersampled PC-MRI data by reconstructing a first flow-encoded image using a first convolutional neural network, reconstructing a complex difference image using a second convolutional neural network, combining the complex difference image and the first flow-encoded image to obtain a second flow-encoded image, and generating a velocity encoded image from the first flow-encoded image and second flow-encoded image using phase difference processing.

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 present disclosure provides a method of DDCE-MRF. The method can include: a) introducing two or more contrast agents to a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the two or more contrast agents having different relaxivities; b) measuring a T1 relaxation time and a T2 relaxation time for locations within the ROI using magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF); c) determining, using equations that relate the different relaxivities, the T1 relaxation time, the T2 relaxation time, and concentrations of the two or more contrast agents, the concentrations of the two or more contrast agents for each of the locations within the ROI; and d) producing an image depicting the ROI based, at least in part, on the concentrations of the two or more contrast agents.

Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.

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.