Magnetic resonance system with position-dependent slew rate limitation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036792-B2
Application number	US-201514592798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 8, 2014
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A control facility of a magnetic resonance system receives parameters of a measuring sequence from an operator. The parameters define an activation of a gradient system of the magnetic resonance system. The control facility detects an exposure of at least one body region of the examination object brought about by the activation of the gradient system. The exposure is detected as a function of the position in which the examination object is disposed in an examination volume of the magnetic resonance system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operating method for a controller of a magnetic resonance system, the operating method comprising:
receiving, by the controller, parameters of a predetermined measuring sequence from an operator, wherein the parameters define an activation of a gradient system of the magnetic resonance system;
detecting, by the controller, an exposure of at least one body region of an examination object brought about by the activation of the gradient system, wherein detecting the exposure comprises detecting the exposure as a function of a position in which the examination object is disposed in an examination volume of the magnetic resonance system;
storing, by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the detected exposure;
comparing, by the controller, the detected exposure with an exposure limit value; and
depending on whether the detected exposure is below or above the exposure limit value, activating the magnetic resonance system according to the predetermined measuring sequence or instituting other measures.

2. The operating method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the controller, the position of the examination object in the examination volume from the operator; or
determining, by the controller, the position of the examination object in the examination volume.

3. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein when the detected exposure is above the exposure limit value, the operating method further comprises modifying, by the controller, the measuring sequence so that an exposure resulting for the modified measuring sequence is below the exposure limit value and activating, by the controller, the magnetic resonance system according to the modified measuring sequence, preventing, by the controller, the execution of the measuring sequence and outputting, by the controller, a corresponding notification to the operator, detecting, by the controller, an exposure of the at least one body region of the examination object brought about by the activation of the gradient system using the measuring sequence for at least one further position of the examination object as a function of the at least one further position, or any combination thereof.

4. The operating method of claim 3 , further comprising:
when the exposure of the at least one body region is below the exposure limit value for at least one of the further positions of the examination object:
selecting, by the controller, a position of the at least one further position, positioning, by the controller, the examination object in the selected position, and activating the magnetic resonance system according to the measuring sequence; or
offering the at least one further position to the operator for selection; and

when the detected exposure of the at least one body region is not below the exposure limit value for any further position of the at least one further position:
modifying, by the controller, the measuring sequence so that an exposure resulting for the modified measuring sequence is below the exposure limit value for one or more positions of the position and the at least one further position;
positioning, by the controller, the examination object in the one or more positions; and
activating, by the controller, the magnetic resonance system according to the modified measuring sequence, preventing the execution of the measuring sequence and outputting a corresponding notification to the operator, or a combination thereof.

5. The operating method of claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting, by the controller, an exposure of the at least one body region of the examination object brought about by the activation of the gradient system for at least one further position of the examination object as a function of the at least one further position, the detecting of the exposure for the at least one further position comprising using the position received from the operator; and
comparing the detected exposure for the at least one further position with the exposure limit value.

6. The operating method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically determining, by the controller, the position of the examination object and at least one further position of the examination object; and
detecting, by the controller, a respective exposure of the at least one body region of the examination object brought about by the activation of the gradient system for the at least one further position of the examination object as a function of the respective further position.

7. The operating method of claim 6 , further comprising:
comparing, by the controller, the detected exposures with an exposure limit value;
when the detected exposure of the at least one body region is below the exposure limit value for at least one of the positions of the examination object:
selecting, by the controller, one of the positions, positioning, by the controller, the examination object in the one selected position, and activating, by the controller, the magnetic resonance system according to the measuring sequence; or
offering, by the controller, the positions to the operator for selection; and

when the detected exposure is above the exposure limit value for all the positions determined:
modifying, by the controller, the measuring sequence so that an exposure detected for the modified measuring sequence is below the exposure limit value for at least one of the positions, positioning, by the controller, the examination object in the at least one position, and activating the magnetic resonance system according to the modified measuring sequence, preventing the execution of the measuring sequence and outputting a corresponding notification to the operator, or a combination thereof.

8. The operating method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting, by the controller, the detected exposure to the operator with assignment to the position of the examination object.

9. The operating method of claim 8 , further comprising outputting, by the controller, further assessment criteria for the position of the examination object to the operator.

10. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the exposure of the at least one body region of the examination object comprises the controller taking both the position and orientation of the examination object into account.

11. In a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program having machine code with instructions executable by a controller for a magnetic resonance system to operate the magnetic resonance system, the instructions comprising:
receiving, by the controller, parameters of a predetermined measuring sequence from an operator, wherein the parameters define an activation of a gradient system of the magnetic resonance system;
detecting, by the controller, an exposure of at least one body region of an examination object brought about by the activation of the gradient system, wherein detecting the exposure comprises detecting the exposure as a function of a position in which the examination object is disposed in an examination volume of the magnetic resonance system;
storing, by the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the detected exposure;
comparing the detected exposure with an exposure limit value; and
depending on whether the detected exposure is below or above the exposure limit value, activating the magnetic resonance system according to the predetermined measuring sequence or instituting other measures.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
receiving the position of the examination object in the examination volume from the operator; or
d

Assignees

• Meyer Heiko
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Meyer Heiko

Classifications

• G01R33/288

  Provisions within MR facilities for enhancing safety during MR, e.g. reduction of the specific absorption rate [SAR], detection of ferromagnetic objects in the scanner room · CPC title

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• G01R33/543 Primary

  Control of the operation of the MR system, e.g. setting of acquisition parameters prior to or during MR data acquisition, dynamic shimming, use of one or more scout images for scan plane prescription (G01R33/546 takes precedence) · CPC title