Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080265884 | Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition setting unit and an image acquisition unit. The imaging condition setting unit includes an input part for inputting an imaging condition with applying plural pre-pulses. The image acquisition unit performs imaging according to the imaging condition and generates an image based on data acquired by the imaging. The imaging condition setting unit includes a display part configured to display an application region and attribute information of at least one pre-pulse of the plural pre-pulses together with a position of the imaging. | 10-30-2008 |
20100198053 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a first blood flow image acquisition unit and a second blood flow image acquisition unit. The first blood flow image acquisition unit acquires a first blood flow image of a breast of an object without contrast medium. The second blood flow image acquisition unit acquires a second blood flow image without contrast medium with applying a spin labeling pulse by which a region to be tagged is set based on the first blood flow image as a reference image so as to distinguish blood flowing into a desired region. | 08-05-2010 |
20100249574 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an image generating unit. The data acquisition unit sets a delay time from a reference wave based on heart rate information or peripheral pulse wave information previously acquired from an object and acquires MR signals by an imaging scan with the set delay time in synchronized with a beat. The delay time represents a time phase of a data acquisition timing in imaging in synchronized with the beat. The image generating unit generates a blood flow image based on the magnetic resonance signals. | 09-30-2010 |
20100312098 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a first data acquisition unit, a second data acquisition unit and an image data generating unit. The first data acquisition unit acquires first data from a slice to be a target after a first delay time from a reference of a first heart rate synchronized with an electrocardiogram. The second data acquisition unit acquires second data from the slice after a second delay time from a reference of a second heart rate which is different from the first heart rate. The image data generating unit generates image data with image reconstruction processing using the first data and the second data. | 12-09-2010 |
20110071382 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - According to one of the aspects of an MRI apparatus of the present invention, the MRI apparatus includes an imaging data acquiring unit and a blood flow information generating unit. The imaging data acquiring unit acquires imaging data from an imaging region including myocardium, without using a contrast medium, by applying a spatial selective excitation pulse to a region including at least a part of an ascending aorta for distinguishably displaying inflowing blood flowing into the imaging region. The blood flow information generating unit generates blood flow image data based on the imaging data. | 03-24-2011 |
20110080170 | MRI NON-CONTRAST TIME-SLIP ANGIOGRAPHY USING VARIABLY POSITIONED CINE SUB-SEQUENCE - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system using an MRI gantry and controlling computer system includes at least one programmed computer configured to effect a cardiac-triggered time-SLIP (spatial labeling inversion pulse) MRI data acquisition sequence for imaging blood perfusion in imaged patient tissue and employing therewithin an MRI cine sub-sequence. The sub-sequence is positioned in the time domain to encompass at least part of a predetermined (e.g., diastolic) cardiac time interval of the patient. Processing acquired data from the time-SLIP data acquisition sequence generates a sequence of MRI cine frame images having respectively associated different effective BBTI (black blood time to inversion) time intervals. Identifying one of the MRI cine frame images as acceptable, thereby effectively also determines an appropriate BBTI time interval for the patient. The system then outputs a time-SLIP image based on the determined appropriate BBTI time interval to at least one of (a) a display, (b) a remote system or (c) a non-transitory storage medium. | 04-07-2011 |
20120095320 | MRI T1 Image-guided tissue diagnostics - An MR image especially useful for computer-guided diagnostics uses at least one programmed computer to acquire an MR-image of T1 values for a patient volume containing at least one predetermined tissue type having a respectively corresponding predetermined range of expected T1 values. A color-coded T1-image is generated from the MR-image by (a) assigning a first color or spectrum of colors to those pixels having a T1 value falling within a predetermined range of expected T1 values and (b) assigning a second color or spectrum of colors to those pixels having a T1 value falling outside a predetermined range of expected T1 values. The color-coded T1-image is then displayed for use in computer-aided diagnosis of patient tissue. | 04-19-2012 |
20120095326 | Velocity measurement of MR-Imaged fluid flows - Velocity of MR-imaged fluid flows is measured. Data representing a measure of distance traveled by flowing fluid appearing in at least two MR images of a subject's tissue taken at different respective imaging times is generated. Data representing at least one fluid velocity measurement of the flowing fluid is generated by calculating at least one instance of distance traveled by the fluid divided by elapsed time during travel based on different respective imaging times. Data representing at least one fluid velocity measurement is then output to at least one of: (a) a display screen, (b) a non-transitory data storage medium, and (c) a remotely located site. | 04-19-2012 |
20120095327 | Non-contrast MRI signal acquisition - A first plurality of MR signals from a patient's tissue at respectively corresponding successive first time increments extending over a first time interval including a substantial majority of a subject's cardiac cycle is acquired and analyzed to define a second time interval, shorter than the first time interval, during the cardiac cycle whereat there is a relatively steep rise in signal magnitudes as a function of time (e.g., corresponding with systole and diastole events of the cardiac cycle). A second plurality of MR signals is then acquired from tissue of the patient at respectively corresponding successive second time increments during the second time interval, the second time increments being substantially shorter than said first time increments. Image data representing at least one contrast-free image of flowing fluid vessels is generated based on the second plurality of MR signals. | 04-19-2012 |
20120116206 | Automated non-contrast agent magnetic resonance venography - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system uses an MRI system gantry, an associated controlling computer system and an operator input mechanism, with the controlling computer system including at least one programmed computer configured to effect an automated magnetic resonance venography (MRV) mode. Operator inputs are accepted to preset parameters defining at least one MRV process (i) for acquiring plural sets of image data and (ii) for subsequent interrelated subtractions between the acquired image data sets to produce an MRV image set. The image data sets are thereafter automatically acquired and interrelated subtractions are automatically performed to produce an MRV image data set. The MRV image data set (perhaps after MIP processing) is then output to at least one of (i) an image data memory, (ii) an image display, and (iii) a remote further computer site. | 05-10-2012 |
20120116207 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - An exemplary magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a scan performing unit. The scan performing unit is configured to sequentially perform plural types of scans in a predetermined sequence, i.e., a first scan, a second scan, and a third scan, to acquire image data at a target region in a patient in a predetermined sequence. The first scan is performed to acquire image data in a first phase encoding direction during diastole in the patient. The second scan is performed to acquire image data in a second phase encoding direction approximately orthogonal to the first phase encoding direction during diastole in the patient. The third scan is performed to acquire image date in the second phase encoding direction during systole in the patient. | 05-10-2012 |
20120269414 | MRI GIBBS' RINGING FILTERING WITH EDGE-PROTECTION - A magnetic resonance image (MRI) data array representing an image is filtered in k-space (Fourier space) domain to produce a low-pass filtered data array, a band-pass filtered data array and a high-pass filtered data array. These filtered k-space arrays are two-dimensionally Fourier-Transformed into the image domain where the magnitude of the band-pass filtered data array is thresholded and feathered to produce a fuzzy continuous valued (“gray-scale”) edge mask data array, and the real part of the high-pass filtered data array may, if desired, be soft-thresholded to produce a soft thresholded sharpening mask data array. The edge mask data array is multiplied with the sharpening mask data array and the result is added to the magnitude of the low-pass filtered data array in the image domain to produce a Gibbs' ringing and noise-filtered image to better represent the underlying anatomy. | 10-25-2012 |
20120283549 | EFFICIENT MULTI-STATION MRI - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes at least one controller configured to first acquire at least MRI locator image data for different portions of patient anatomy at each of different imaging stations for a defined multi-station locator sequence. An operator may interface with a respectively corresponding displayed locator image for each imaging station to set diagnostic scan sequence parameters for subsequent diagnostic MRI scans of corresponding portions of patient anatomy. Diagnostic MRI scan data is automatically acquired at each of the imaging stations in a multi-station diagnostic scan sequence that, if desired, can be seamlessly continued without operator interruption once begun. | 11-08-2012 |
20120302872 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition setting unit, a scan performing unit and a blood flow image generating unit. The imaging condition setting unit sets a sequence accompanying application of a motion probing gradient pulse as an imaging condition. The scan performing unit performs an imaging scan according to the sequence. The blood flow image generating unit generates a blood flow image based on data acquired by the imaging scan. | 11-29-2012 |
20130088226 | MRI WITH FAT SUPPRESSION USING FAT DECOUPLING RF DURING PRE-SEQUENCE SHIMMING - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and method uses an MRI gantry having a static magnet structure, controllable gradient magnet structures and at least one radio frequency (RF) coil for transmitting and receiving RF signals to and from an imaging volume. Control circuits are configured to control gradient magnetic fields generated by the gradient magnet structures, to transmit/receive RF signals to and from the at least one RF coil and to process RF signals received during a diagnostic MRI scan to produce displayable images of structures located within the imaging volume. The control circuits are configured to include a preparatory fat decoupling RF pulse as part of a patient ROI (region of interest) shimming sequence effected prior to a fat suppression type of diagnostic MRI data acquisition scan sequence. | 04-11-2013 |
20130141094 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first imaging unit, an identifying unit, and a second imaging execution unit. The first imaging execution unit acquires, after applying a labeling RF pulse to blood flowing into the myocardium of a subject, multiple non-contrast MR data for which the time intervals between labeling and acquiring data are different by performing sequential imaging of an imaging area including the myocardium in each segment of a k-space for a given time interval. The identifying unit identifies a time interval taken by the labeled blood to reach a given position in the imaging area. The second imaging execution unit sets the identified time interval and, after applying a labeling RF pulse to the blood flowing into the myocardium of the subject, acquires non-contrast MR data by imaging the imaging area including the myocardium. | 06-06-2013 |
20130234707 | FRESH BLOOD IMAGING (FBI) WITH INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED MRI DATA ACQUISITION PARAMETERS FOR DIASTOLIC AND SYSTOLIC MRI ACQUISITION SUB-SEQUENCES - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is configured to effect magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) data acquisition sequences including electrocardiogram (ECG) triggered fresh blood imaging (FBI) images respectively associated with systolic and diastolic phases of ECG cycles. An operator input and display interface may be configured to provide operator options for independently controlling at least one imaging sequence parameter to have a different value for each of systolic and diastolic phase images in an FBI MRI data acquisition sequence. | 09-12-2013 |
20130266200 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a collection unit and a generation unit. The collection unit collects data of an imaging area over a plurality of time phases within a certain respiratory cycle after applying a labeling pulse to a labeling area in which cerebrospinal fluid flows under a task of respiration. The generation unit generates images of a plurality of time phases depicting the cerebrospinal fluid by using the collected data. | 10-10-2013 |
20130303885 | NON-CONTRAST MAGNETIC RESONANCE PERFUSION IMAGING - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system acquires MRI data within one patient breath-hold sufficient to generate (a) at least one tag-off first type non-contrast cardiac perfusion image using a data acquisition sub-sequence including a non-selective IR (inversion recovery) pulse and (b) at least one tag-on second type non-contrast cardiac perfusion image using a data acquisition sub-sequence including a non-selective IR pulse and a spatially selective IR pulse. A set of registered tag-on and tag-off images are differentially combined to produce an accurate cardiac perfusion image. | 11-14-2013 |
20130317348 | SEMI-AUTOMATED NON-CONTRAST MAGNETIC RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY (MRA) - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system semi-automatically performs non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). An operator display and control input port configures the MRI system to effect semi-automated non-contrast MRA imaging with spatially selective tag and venous suppression RF pulses and/or black blood time interval (BBTI) parameters in a non-contrast MRA data acquisition sequence where such parameters are automatically determined within predetermined, respectively corresponding, spatial regions of patient anatomy. Such automatically determined non-contrast MRA imaging parameters may be entirely automatically set and used or, alternatively, may be displayed to an operator for acceptance and/or change before being used. | 11-28-2013 |
20140050379 | NON-CONTRAST MRI WITH DIFFERENTIATION OF ISCHEMIC, INFARCT AND NORMAL TISSUE - Elicited MRI signals are processed into MR image data in conjunction (a) with use of an initial spatially-selective RF tag pulse (tag-on) and (b) without use of an initial spatially-selective NMR RF tag pulse (tag-off) in respectively corresponding data acquisition subsequences. Multi-dimensional tag-on and tag-off data acquisition subsequences are used for each of plural time-to-inversion (TI) intervals without using an injected contrast agent. Acquired image data sets are subtracted for each TI interval to produce difference values as a function of time representing blood perfusion for the ROI that differentiates between normal, ischemic and infarct tissues. | 02-20-2014 |
20140062474 | ENHANCED FAT SATURATION IN MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION MRI - MRI k-space data is acquired for a patient ROI during data acquisition sequences including a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal readout period using a late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) data acquisition sequence including at least one fat-specific RF NMR magnetization inversion pulse imposed (a) after a water-specific RF NMR magnetization inversion pulse timed to cause a substantial null in NMR magnetization of normal tissue protons near a center of the readout period and (b) before the readout period center, which fat-specific inversion pulse is also timed to cause a substantial null in NMR magnetization of fat tissue protons near the readout period center. The acquired MR image data is reconstructed into a contrast enhanced LGE image of tissues within the ROI but having substantially suppressed normal and fat components therein. | 03-06-2014 |
20140194730 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a sequence controller and a data processor. The sequence controller executes a pulse sequence using a combination of multiple types of labeling methods to acquire magnetic resonance signals. The data processor generates multiple types of labeled images based on the magnetic resonance signals. | 07-10-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130096419 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a collecting unit, a specifying unit, an acquiring unit and a calculating unit. The collecting unit collects a plurality of fluid images that are images of a fluid traveling though a subject. The specifying unit specifies a distance traveled by the fluid by using a difference image between a reference image that is one of the fluid images and each fluid image. The acquiring unit acquires an elapsed time corresponding to the traveled distance from pulse sequence information that is used to collect the fluid images. The calculating unit calculates a flow velocity of the fluid by dividing the traveled distance by the elapsed time. | 04-18-2013 |
20130102881 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a determining unit and an imaging unit. When a fluid traveling through a subject is imaged for multiple times at different phases, the determining unit determines a period on the time axis within which imaging is performed at intervals satisfying a predetermined temporal resolution. The imaging unit performs imaging for multiple times by the temporal resolution within the period. | 04-25-2013 |
20130102885 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD AND IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a memory, a specifying unit, and a display controller. The memory stores a corresponding color table representing correspondence relationships between T1 values of which value ranges with respect to each tissue are known and colors to be assigned to pixels with the T1 values. The specifying unit analyzes a T1-valued image and specifies colors to be assigned to each pixel on the basis of T1 values converted from pixel values of each pixel and the corresponding color table. The display controller displays on a display the image color-coded with the specified colors. | 04-25-2013 |
20130193971 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) USING SPIR AND/OR CHESS SUPPRESSION PULSES - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus includes an MRI imaging condition setting unit configured to set an imaging condition frequency-selectively applying a first suppression pulse for suppressing fat and further frequency-selectively applying a second suppression pulse to the fat after applying the first suppression pulse, a slip angle of the second suppression pulse differing from that of the first suppression angle, and the second suppression pulse further suppressing remaining fat after applying the first suppression pulse. The image data acquisition unit acquires image data according to the imaging condition. | 08-01-2013 |
20130225976 | EFFICIENT MULTI-STATION MRI - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes at least one controller configured to first acquire at least MRI locator image data for different portions of patient anatomy at each of different imaging stations for a defined multi-station locator sequence. An operator may interface with a respectively corresponding displayed locator image for each imaging station to set diagnostic scan sequence parameters for subsequent diagnostic MRI scans of corresponding portions of patient anatomy. Diagnostic MRI scan data is automatically acquired at each of the imaging stations in a multi-station diagnostic scan sequence that, if desired, can be seamlessly continued without operator interruption once begun. | 08-29-2013 |
20130253307 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING METHOD - An MRI apparatus includes an imaging data acquiring unit and a blood flow information generating unit. The imaging data acquiring unit acquires imaging data from an imaging region including myocardium, without using a contrast medium, by applying a spatial selective excitation pulse to a region including at least a part of an ascending aorta for distinguishably displaying inflowing blood flowing into the imaging region. The blood flow information generating unit generates blood flow image data based on the imaging data. | 09-26-2013 |
20130285655 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes: a sequence controlling unit that, by controlling an execution of a pulse sequence, acquires magnetic resonance (MR) signals corresponding to a plurality of channels in the pulse sequence executed as a series, the MR signals being configured to be arranged into a first region of a k-space at first intervals and into a second region larger than the first region at second intervals larger than the first intervals; an arranging unit that arranges the MR signals corresponding to the channels into the k-space as k-space data; and an image generating unit that generates first-interval k-space data corresponding to the channels based on the second-interval k-space data acquired by executing the pulse sequence and generates a magnetic resonance image based on the generated first-interval k-space data, the first-interval k-space data acquired by executing the pulse sequence, and sensitivity distributions corresponding to the channels. | 10-31-2013 |
20140046168 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SYSTEM - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system obtains an MR image of an object. The system detects an ECG signal and performs a pulse sequence of RF gradient magnetic fields toward the object. Imaging defined by the pulse sequence is longer in temporal length than one heartbeat. The system further acquires an MR signal from the object in response to performance of the pulse sequence and produces the MR image based on the acquired MR signal. Also possible are: a plurality of divided MT pulses instead of the conventional single MT pulse, an SE-system pulse sequence having a shorter echo train spacing, and the generation of sounds by applying gradient pulses incorporated in an imaging pulse sequence so as to automatically instruct a patient to perform an intermittent breath hold. | 02-13-2014 |
20140062473 | AUTOMATED MRI DETECTION OF TISSUE MACROMOLECULAR T2/T2* CHARACTERISTICS USING Z-SPECTRA - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and method (a) acquires k-space data for a patient ROI over a predetermined band of RF frequencies using RF excitation pulses having respectively corresponding RF frequencies incrementally offset from a nuclear magnetic resonant (NMR) Larmor frequency for free nuclei thus causing chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) effects and to process such acquired data into Z-spectra data for voxels in the ROI; (b) analyzes the acquired Z-spectra data to provide spectral peak width data corresponding to T2/T2* tissue values in the ROI for macromolecules participating in magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) effects producing said Z-spectra data; and (c) stores and/or displays data representative of T2/T2* tissue values of the ROI which values are different for different tissues. | 03-06-2014 |
20140062476 | MRI DETECTION OF TISSUE MACROMOLECULAR CHARACTERISTICS USING MTC EFFECTS - A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and method (a) acquires k-space data for a patient ROI over a predetermined band of RF frequencies using RF excitation pulses having respectively corresponding RF frequencies incrementally offset from a nuclear magnetic resonant (NMR) Larmor frequency for free nuclei over a predetermined range of different offset frequencies in which target macromolecule responses are expected and to process such acquired data into spectral data for voxels in the ROI; (b) analyzes the acquired spectral data to provide spectral peak width data corresponding to tissue values in the ROI for macromolecules participating in magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) effects producing said spectral data; and (c) stores and/or displays data representative of tissue values of the ROI which values are different for different tissues. | 03-06-2014 |
20140081125 | NON-CONTRAST DYNAMIC MRI MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION - Black blood time to inversion (BBTI) tag-on and tag-off images acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are analyzed to produce difference magnitude 3D images as a function of time (BBTI values) representing blood perfusion in a region of interest (ROI). Perfusion data of the ROI having values which are different for normal and abnormal myocardial tissues are displayed for plural slices of a 3D image and for plural BBTI values in a single display panel. | 03-20-2014 |
20140361776 | MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING APPARATUS - A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a sequence controller. The sequence controller is configured to apply MT (Magnetization Transfer) pulses having a frequency different from a resonance frequency of free water protons and then acquires magnetic resonance signals of an object to be imaged. The sequence controller acquires the magnetic resonance signals for each of multiple frequencies while changing the frequency of MT pulses within a frequency band based on a T2 relaxation time of restricted protons contained in the object to be imaged. | 12-11-2014 |