Push-button vessel wall MRI with 3D scout scan

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429478-B2
Application number	US-201414917294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2014
Priority date	Sep 9, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A medical system (10) and method (100) image a vessel wall automatically. A scout scan of a patient for localizing a target vessel of the patient is automatically performed (102) using magnetic resonance (MR). The scout scan is three-dimensional (3D) and isotropic. An MR data set of the scout scan is automatically reconstructed (104) into foot-to-head (FH), left-to-right (LR) and posterior-to-anterior (PA) projections. A3D imaging volume (16) encompassing the target vessel is automatically determined (106) from the projections, and a diagnostic scan of the 3D imaging volume (16) is performed (108) using MR.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medical system for imaging a vessel wall of a target vessel in a patient, said medical system comprising:
a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner;
a display device; and
a controller including:
an MR control unit configured to control the MR scanner to perform a single scout scan of a patient for localizing the target vessel of the patient to produce a three-dimensional (3D), isotropic scout MR data set;
a reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct the scout MR data set into a two-dimensional (2D) foot-to-head (FH) projection image, a 2D left-to-right (LR) projection image and a 2D posterior-to-anterior (PA) projection image;
a diagnostic imaging-volume unit configured to determine a 3D diagnostic imaging volume encompassing the target vessel from the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images;
wherein the MR control unit is further configured to control the MR scanner to perform a diagnostic imaging scan of the target vessel of the 3D diagnostic imaging volume to produce a 3D diagnostic MR data set;
wherein the reconstruction unit is further configured to reconstruct the 3D diagnostic MR data set into a diagnostic image of the target vessel; and
a display control unit configured to control the display device to display the diagnostic image of the target vessel.

2. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes software and the controller includes one or more processors configured to execute the software.

3. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the scout scan is a bright-blood scan.

4. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic imaging-volume unit is configured to:
identifying edges of the target vessel in each of the 2D foot-to-head image, the 2D left-to-right image, and the posterior-to-anterior projection image;
define a 2D imaging subvolume based on the identified edges in each of the 2D foot-to-head image, the left-to-right image, and the posterior-to-anterior projection image; and
reverse project the 2D imaging subvolumes of the 2D foot-to-head image, the 2D left-to-right image, and the 2D posterior-to-anterior projection image, a 3D volume in which the 2D foot-to-head reverse projection, the 2D left-to-right reverse projection, and the 2D posterior-to-anterior reverse projection intersect defining the 3D diagnostic image volume.

5. A medical method for imaging a vessel wall, said medical method comprising:
automatically performing a single scout scan of a patient for localizing a target vessel of the patient using magnetic resonance (MR), the scout scan generating a three-dimensional (3D), isotropic scout MR data set;
automatically reconstructing the scout MR data set of the scout scan into 2D foot-to-head (FH) projection image, a 2D left-to-right (LR) projection image, and a 2D posterior-to-anterior (PA) projection image;
determining a 3D diagnostic imaging volume encompassing the target vessel from the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images;
performing a diagnostic scan of the 3D diagnostic imaging volume using MR to generate a diagnostic MR data set; and
reconstructing the diagnostic MR data set into a diagnostic image including the target vessel.

6. The medical method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of:
the scout scan is a bright-blood scan;
the scout scan encompasses a volume extending 10-15 centimeters (cm) in a foot-to-head direction and spanning the field of view in left-to-right and posterior-to-anterior directions; and
the resolution of the scout scan is 1-1.5 millimeters (mm).

7. The medical method of claim 5 , wherein the determining includes determining a 2D imaging subvolume encompassing the target vessel in each of the foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images and the diagnostic 3D imaging volume is determined from the 2D imaging subvolumes.

8. The medical method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of:
the resolution of the diagnostic image is smaller than 0.7 millimeters (mm); and
the diagnostic image is isotropic.

9. The medical method of claim 5 , wherein determining the 3D image volume includes:
identifying edges of the target vessel in each of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images;
defining a 2D imaging subvolume based in the identified edges in each of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images; and
reverse projecting the 2D imaging subvolumes of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images, a 3D volume in which the foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior reverse projections intersect defining the 3D diagnostic image volume.

10. The medical method of claim 9 , wherein identifying the edges of the target vessel includes using edge detection to identify the edges of the target vessel in each of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images.

11. The medical method of claim 9 , wherein the target vessel edges are determined by a clinician.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying software which controls one or more processors to:
automatically perform a single scout scan of a patient for localizing a target vessel of the patient using magnetic resonance (MR), the scout scan generating a three-dimensional (3D), isotropic scout MR data set;
automatically reconstruct the scout MR data set of the scout scan into 2D foot-to-head (FH) projection image, a 2D left-to-right (LR) projection image, and a 2D posterior-to-anterior (PA) projection image;
determine a 3D diagnostic imaging volume encompassing the target vessel from the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images, determining the 3D image volume including:
identifying edges of the target vessel in each of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images,
defining a 2D imaging subvolume based in the identified edges in each of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images, and
reverse projecting the 2D imaging subvolumes of the 2D foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior projection images, a 3D volume in which the foot-to-head, left-to-right, and posterior-to-anterior reverse projections intersect defining the 3D diagnostic image volume;

perform a diagnostic scan of the 3D diagnostic imaging volume using MR to generate a diagnostic MR data set; and
reconstruct the diagnostic MR data set into a diagnostic image including the target vessel.

13. A medical system for imaging a vessel wall, said medical system comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
control a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner to perform a single scout scan of a patient for localizing a target vessel of the patient using magnetic resonance, the scout scan producing a three-dimensional (3D) and isotropic scout MR scout data set;
reconstruct the scout MR data set of the scout scan into three orthogonal 2D projection images;
from the three 2D projection images, automatically determine a 3D diagnostic imaging volume encompassing the target vessel;
control the MR scanner to perform a diagnostic scan of the 3D diagnostic imaging volume to generate a 3D MR diagnostic image data set; and
reconstruct the 3D MR diagnostic image data set into a diagnostic image of the 3D diagnostic imaging volume.

14. The medical system of claim 13 , wherein the scout scan is a bright-blood scan.

15. The medical system of claim 13 , wherein the scout scan encompasses a scout volume extending 10-15 centimeters

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv
• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Wang Jinnan
• Boernert Peter
• Yuan Chun

Classifications

• G01R33/5635 Primary

  Angiography, e.g. contrast-enhanced angiography [CE-MRA] or time-of-flight angiography [TOF-MRA] · CPC title

• G01R33/385

  using gradient magnetic field coils · CPC title

• G01R33/5602

  by filtering or weighting based on different relaxation times within the sample, e.g. T1 weighting using an inversion pulse · CPC title

• G01R33/34

  Constructional details, e.g. resonators {, specially adapted to MR} · CPC title

• G01R33/543

  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