Patent classifications
G01R33/56366
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
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.
Measuring blood vessel characteristics with MRI
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of a subject, wherein the first MRI data is obtained during a first scan of a subject, wherein the first scan has a first diffusion sampling time, and wherein the first diffusion sampling time is selected in order to facilitate use of the first MRI data to determine a first Intravoxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) effective diffusion coefficient in a Stationary Random Flow (SRF) regime; obtaining second MRI data of the subject, wherein the second MRI data is obtained during a second scan of the subject, wherein the second scan has a second diffusion sampling time, wherein the second diffusion sampling time is longer than the first diffusion sampling time, and wherein the second diffusion sampling time is selected in order to facilitate use of the second MRI data to determine a second IVIM effective diffusion coefficient in a pseudodiffusion regime; determining a blood velocity value based upon the first MRI data; and determining a segment length value based upon the second MRI data. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
REAL-TIME FMRI
The invention provides a method of medical imaging. The method comprises: receiving, for a current active time window (204A-N) and during a brain activity analysis session (200, 500), fMRI data of a region of interest (309) of a subject (318) in an active state. A transverse relaxation, T2*, map may be generated from the fMRI data using a predefined model of fMRI data variations. The generated T2* map may be compared with a reference T2* map. A blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) response of the region of interest (309) during the current active time window (204 A-N) may be estimated using the results of the comparison.
Chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging with gating synchronized acquisition
Methods and systems for producing a magnetic resonance (MR) image of a subject include acquiring a first physiological monitoring signal related to a first physiological process of the subject and acquiring a second physiological monitoring signal related to a second physiological process of the subject. The method also includes analyzing the first physiological monitoring signal and the second physiological monitoring signal to identify at least a first trigger point and a second trigger point and, upon identifying the first trigger point, applying a radiofrequency (RF) saturation module at a selected frequency to saturate a selected spin species in the subject. Upon identifying the second trigger point, the method includes performing a chemical exchange striation transfer (CEST) readout to acquire CEST data and then reconstructing the CEST data to produce a CEST image of the subject.
TERRITORY MAPPING IN PSEUDO-CONTINUOUS ARTERIAL SPIN LABELING
Systems and methods for localized pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) of arterial blood local multi-coil arrays in an MRI system allow a series of pulses to selectively label blood with an on-resonance magnetic field in one or more arteries in a labeling plane while masking blood in others with an off-resonance magnetic field. This allows perfusion imaging and is well suited for imaging of cerebral blood flow.
Systems, methods, compositions and devices for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of lungs using perfluorinated gas mixtures
Systems and methods for generating MRI images of the lungs and/or airways of a subject using a medical grade gas mixture comprises between about 20-79% inert perfluorinated gas and oxygen gas. The images are generated using acquired .sup.19F magnetic resonance image (MRI) signal data associated with the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NON-CONTRAST MYOCARDIUM DIAGNOSIS SUPPORT
Devices and methods are provided for analyzing images from a magnetic resonance (MR) system. The device includes at least one hardware processor coupled with a storage system accessible to the at least one hardware processor. The device further includes a display in communication with the at least one hardware processor. The device receives a plurality of non-contrast MR images in a region of interest (ROI). The device obtains blood flow signals from the plurality of non-contrast MR images. The device identifies an abnormal segment by analyzing the blood flow signals. The device displays the non-contrast MR images by a highlighted segment in at least one of the non-contrast MR images to indicate the abnormal segment on the display.
SIMULTANEOUS DYNAMIC CONTRAST ENHANCED AND DYNAMIC SUSCEPTIBILITY MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE FINGERPRINTING
Described here are systems and methods for generating quantitative perfusion parameter maps based on multiple different relaxation parameter maps that are simultaneously produced from images acquired using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) techniques.
MEASURING OXYGENATION CHANGES IN TISSUE AS A MARKER FOR VASCULAR FUNCTION
A method and system for processing imaging data of a tissue in an individual following a change in oxygenation or blood flow in tissue, for assessing tissue function. Test images are registered with a baseline image, providing registered images. The registered images may be compared to assess variations in the change in the tissue in response to changes in oxygenation or blood flow of the tissue shown in the images. The change in oxygenation or blood flow in the tissue may be quantified and plotted in a parametric plot or displayed in a parametric map to assess whether the change in oxygenation or blood flow, corresponding to a change in signal intensity, is abnormal following a stress event or under other conditions, to assess microvascular or macrovascular function.
METHOD FOR IMPROVED DYNAMIC CONTRAST ENHANCED IMAGING USING TRACER-KINETIC MODELS AS CONSTRAINTS
Tracer kinetic models are utilized as temporal constraints for highly under-sampled reconstruction of DCE-MRI data. The method is flexible in handling any TK model, does not rely on tuning of regularization parameters, and in comparison to existing compressed sensing approaches, provides robust mapping of TK parameters at high under-sampling rates. In summary, the method greatly improves the robustness and ease-of-use while providing better quality of TK parameter maps than existing methods. In another embodiment, TK parameter maps are directly reconstructed from highly under-sampled DCE-MRI data. This method provides more accurate TK parameter values and higher under-sampling rates. It does not require tuning parameters and there are not additional intermediate steps. The proposed method greatly improves the robustness and ease-of-use while providing better quality of TK parameter maps than conventional indirect methods.