The present invention provides a method of detecting microbubbles in a vessel of an affected part, comprising aggregates the microbubbles, acquiring phase-contrast magnetic resonance images and analyzing the phase-contrast magnetic resonance images. Thus, we can detect or monitor the size and location of the microbubbles in vessels of any part of body.

Processing techniques of volumetric anatomic and vector field data from volumetric phase-contrast MRI on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system are provided to evaluate the physiology of the heart and vessels. This method includes the steps of: (1) correcting for phase-error in the source data, (2) visualizing the vector field superimposed on the anatomic data, (3) using this visualization to select and view planes in the volume, and (4) using these planes to delineate the boundaries of the heart and vessels so that measurements of the heart and vessels can be accurately obtained.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes sequence control circuitry and processing circuitry. The sequence control circuitry executes a first pulse sequence and a second pulse sequence, the first pulse sequence including a first spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse of a first amount, the second pulse sequence including a second spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse of a second amount being different from the first amount or the second pulse sequence not including a spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse. The processing circuitry performs a subtraction operation between a first data obtained from the first pulse sequence and a second data obtained from the second pulse sequence, thereby generating an image.

A method of magnetic resonance imaging (100, 200) includes acquiring (300) tagged magnetic resonance data (144) by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with tagging pulse sequence commands (140). The tagging pulse sequence commands include a tagging inversion pulse portion (404) for spin labeling a tagging location (122, 122) within a subject (118). The tagging pulse sequence commands comprise a phase-contrast readout portion (406) which phase-contrast encodes in at least one direction. The control pulse sequence commands include a control inversion pulse portion (500) and the phase-contrast readout portion. A tagged magnitude image (148) is reconstructed (304) using the tagged magnetic resonance data. A control magnitude image (150) is reconstructed (306) using the control magnetic resonance data. An arterial image (152) is reconstructed (308) by subtracting the control magnitude image and the tagged magnitude image. At least one phase image (156, 158, 160) is reconstructed (312) using either the tagged magnetic resonance data and/or the control magnetic resonance data.

A medical imaging system (100, 1200) includes a memory (136) for storing machine executable instructions (170), and a processor (130) for controlling the medical imaging system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: receive (304, 1000) a tagged arterial spin labeled (ASL) magnitude image (148) of a region of interest of a subject (118); receive (306, 1002) a control ASL magnitude image (150) of the region of interest of the subject; construct (308, 1004) an arterial image (152) by subtracting the control ASL magnitude image and the tagged ASL magnitude image; construct (310, 1006) an arterial mask (154) using the arterial image by identifying arteries in the arterial image; receive (312, 1008) a phase contrast magnetic resonance image (156, 158, 160) of at least a portion of the region of interest of the subject; and construct a venous image (164) at least partially by setting voxels of the phase contrast image within the at least a portion of the region of interest that are within the arterial mask to a predetermined background value.

The invention provides a fluid analysis apparatus, a method for operating a fluid analysis apparatus, and a fluid analysis program that display a flow velocity vector such that the tendency of a fluid flow is easily checked. A representative two-dimensional flow velocity vector representing a plurality of two-dimensional flow velocity vectors obtained by projecting three-dimensional flow velocity vectors of a plurality of voxels that overlap each other in a projection direction of a projection plane to the projection plane is acquired from three-dimensional volume data that has information of the three-dimensional flow velocity vector indicating the flow velocity of a fluid in an anatomical structure for each voxel and is displayed.

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.

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes sequence control circuitry and processing circuitry. The sequence control circuitry executes a first pulse sequence and a second pulse sequence, the first pulse sequence including a first spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse of a first amount, the second pulse sequence including a second spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse of a second amount being different from the first amount or the second pulse sequence not including a spoiler pulse serving as a dephasing gradient pulse. The processing circuitry performs a subtraction operation between a first data obtained from the first pulse sequence and a second data obtained from the second pulse sequence, thereby generating an image.

Various systems and methods for generating images are provided. In some embodiments, the techniques can include acquiring a medical image and an associated motion characterization. The motion characterization can then be used to generate a plurality of gated image data sets, sorted by phase in the motion cycle. A new amplitude-based motion characterization curve is derived from the association of phases with amplitude-based characteristics in the phase gated images. This newly derived amplitude-based motion characterization curve can then be used to re-sort data according to amplitude-based gating techniques known in the field or with data driven optimization techniques.

In one embodiment, an MRI apparatus includes: a scanner equipped with at least a static magnetic field magnet configured to generate a static magnetic field, a gradient coil configured to apply gradient pulses, and an RF coil configured to apply RF pulses to an object and receive magnetic resonance signals from the object; and processing circuitry configured to set at least one pulse sequence which includes a labeling pulse for labeling fluid in the object, an excitation pulse applied after the labeling pulse, and a bipolar or unipolar velocity encoding gradient pulse for encoding velocity information of the fluid, and generate an image of the fluid from the magnetic resonance signals which the scanner acquires by performing the at least one pulse sequence.