A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a bore, a table configured to support a patient being imaged and movable to move the patient in and out of the bore, a motion sensor, a controller configured to detect patient motion based on changes in an RF signal from the motion sensor. The motion sensor includes a self-resonant spiral (SRS) coil excited by a drive signal to radiate a magnetic field having a predefined resonant frequency and a driver-receiver coupled to the SRS coil and configured to generate the drive signal to excite the SRS coil and to receive the RF signal from the SRS coil. The motion sensor is located such that a portion of the patient is within the magnetic field while the patient is being imaged in the bore.

A tomographic imaging system comprises a support carrying an image data acquisition system and defining a reference coordinate frame. A scan plan control sets the image-data acquisition system to acquire image-data from a selected imaging zone in the reference coordinate system. A motion detection system to detect movement and includes (i) a dynamic camera system to receive dynamic image information registered in the image coordinate frame of the dynamic camera system, (ii) an arithmetic unit configured to transform the selected imaging zone from the reference coordinate frame to the image coordinate-frame and a (iii) motion analyser to derive motion information from the registered dynamic image information in the transformed selected imaging zone. In the event of motion detected by the motion analyser in or near the imaging zone, the detected motion may be employed for motion correction.

Calibration data is generated for completing undersampled measurement data acquired via a magnetic resonance system. This includes recording N measurement data sets using an acquisition scheme, and undersampling the k-space with an acceleration factor R, with N being greater than or equal to R, and the N measurement data sets together scanning the k-space completely. Phase images are generated from the N recorded measurement data sets, at least one homogeneity value of the created phase images is determined, and a complete calibration data set is generated based upon the recorded measurement data sets, taking into account the at least one homogeneity value. Thus, it is possible to determine which measurement data sets are subject to undesired phase errors, the measurement data sets used for the creation of the calibration data sets can be selected optimally, and input of the detected phase errors into the calibration data sets can be avoided.

It is an object of the invention to provide a radio frequency (RF) transmit—receive coil (1) for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system with an integrated vital signs detector (3) for the detection of vital signs of a patient within the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, whereby contact sensors directly attached to the body of the patient, are replaced by a contactless system for monitoring vital signs, which makes it much easier to measure vital signs of the patient. The object is achieved by a RF transmit-receive coil (1) comprising a vital signs detector (3) wherein the vital signs detector (3) is integrated in the RF transmit-receive coil (1), wherein a pair of electrically conducting coil elements (4) of the RF transmit-receive coil (1) forms the vital signs detector (3), wherein the vital signs detector (3) is a capacitive vital signs detector (3), the capacitive vital signs detector (3) being adapted for receiving capacitive vital signs signals. The present invention also concerns a system for the detection of vital signs of a patient within a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a method for operating the system for the detection of vital signs of a patient within a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system, a software package for a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system and a software package for upgrading a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system.

In a motion correction method, a reference navigation image is obtained before MR data collection is performed on a target region of interest; in a process of performing the MR data collection on the target region of interest, motion detection is performed using a pilot tone signal received by a plurality of coils, and when a motion is detected, MR data collected when the motion occurs is marked as motion damage data; a post-motion navigation image is obtained when the end of the motion is detected by utilizing the pilot tone signal; registration is performed on the post-motion navigation image and the reference navigation image to obtain a motion correction parameter corresponding to the motion; and motion correction on the MR data collection is performed using the motion correction parameter. The method according to the present disclosure advantageously improves MR imaging quality.

Embodiments provide a computer-implemented method for selecting thermal images for generating a temperature difference map through proton resonance frequency (PRF) thermometry, including: acquiring a set of baseline images prior to a thermal treatment of an organ of interest; identifying a subset of baseline images in a most stable motion state from the set of baseline images; averaging the subset of baseline images to generate a template image; determining an acceptance threshold based on an image similarity measure (ISM) between each of the set of baseline images and the template image; acquiring a set of thermal images during the thermal treatment; and selecting a subset of thermal images from the set of thermal images, wherein each of the subset of thermal images has the image similarity measure above the acceptance threshold.

Aspects and embodiments provide an MRI scanner-compatible virtual reality system comprising: user equipment locatable within an MRI scanner bore, the user equipment being configured to provide a subject with an immersive virtual environment; the system further comprising: at least one sensor configured to track eye movement of the subject; wherein interaction of the subject with the immersive virtual environment is controlled by the tracked eye movement. Aspects and embodiments may be implemented in a manner which recognises that VR techniques, which typically rely upon dynamic movement of a VR subject, can be used to aid with maintenance of minimal motion of a subject to be placed within an MRI scanner bore. Implementations may be such that calmness of a subject can be increased and awareness of their physical surroundings diminished, thus allowing for successful MRI image acquisition whilst seeking to minimise distress, boredom and/or frustration experienced by the subject under study.

A computer-implemented method of reconstructing a motion-compensated magnetic resonance image uses raw k-space data acquired at a first resolution over successive respiratory and/or cardiac cycles of a patient. After binning data based on corresponding motion states derived from these cycles, the resolution of the binned K-space data in each bin is reduced. This is done by selecting a sub-group of binned k-space data. Bin images are reconstructed from the reduced-resolution data, and histogram-equalised versions of the reconstructed reduced-resolution bin image generated for each bin. Motion fields are estimated and interpolated to the first resolution such that motion data can be incorporated into a final reconstruction of a motion compensated image.

The invention relates to a stabilising head support for use by a patient during MRI scanning. The head support includes a shell and an inflatable bladder that is located at least partially within the shell. During use, the shell is located within an MRI magnet and the bladder is inflated about the patients head to help hold the head steady during imaging.

The disclosure facilitates determining patient motion during a magnetic resonance protocol. According to some examples, the patient motion may be corrected or compensated.