Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016018501-A1
Application number	US-201514872319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a dividing unit, an acquiring unit, and a combining unit. The dividing unit is configured to divide an imaging region of a patient into at least two temporal or spatial ranges. Of the temporal or spatial ranges, the acquiring unit is configured to perform a data acquiring process on a first range by using a first readout sequence and to perform a data acquiring process on a second range by using a second readout sequence that is different from the first readout sequence in terms of one or both of the type of sequence and an imaging condition. The combining unit is configured to combine an image generated from data acquired by using the first readout sequence with an image generated from data acquired by using the second readout sequence.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to divide an imaging region of a patient into at least two temporal ranges; perform a data acquiring process on a first range of the temporal ranges by using a first readout sequence and perform a data acquiring process on a second range of the temporal ranges by using a second readout sequence that is different from the first readout sequence in terms of one or both of a type of sequence and an imaging condition; and combine an image generated from data acquired by using the first readout sequence with an image generated from data acquired by using the second readout sequence.

2 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which data acquiring processes are successively performed, by performing a data acquiring process every time a different one of a plurality of waiting periods has elapsed since an RF wave is applied once for a purpose of labeling fluid flowing into the imaging region, the imaging region into said at least two temporal ranges on a basis of the waiting periods, and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the first range having a shorter waiting period by using the first readout sequence and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the second range having a longer waiting period by using the second readout sequence.

3 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which a pattern is formed where a data acquiring process is performed after a predetermined waiting period has elapsed since an RF wave is applied for a purpose of labeling fluid flowing into the imaging region, and the pattern is implemented multiple times while varying the waiting period, the imaging region into said at least two temporal ranges on a basis of the waiting periods, and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the first range having a shorter waiting period by using the first readout sequence and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the second range having a longer waiting period by using the second readout sequence.

4 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, the processing circuitry is configured to change, when detecting that the labeled fluid has reached a predetermined position in the imaging region, the readout sequence used for performing the data acquiring process from the first readout sequence to the second readout sequence.

5 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of a head of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which blood serving as the fluid is labeled, the imaging region into a range in which the labeled blood flows through a major artery and a range in which the labeled blood flows through a peripheral artery.

6 . A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to divide an imaging region of a patient into at least two spatial ranges; perform a data acquiring process on a first range of the spatial ranges by using a first readout sequence and perform a data acquiring process on a second range of the spatial ranges by using a second readout sequence that is different from the first readout sequence in terms of one or both of a type of sequence and an imaging condition; and generate an image of the imaging region by combining an image generated from data acquired by using the first readout sequence with an image generated from data acquired by using the second readout sequence.

7 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which the imaging region is divided into a plurality of sectional regions, so that a data acquiring process is performed on each of the plurality of sectional regions, the imaging region into said at least two spatial ranges on a basis of the sectional regions, and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the first range including a major artery by using the first readout sequence and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the second range including a peripheral artery by using the second readout sequence.

8 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which the imaging region is divided into a plurality of sectional regions, so that a data acquiring process is performed every time a different one of a plurality of waiting periods respectively corresponding to the plurality of sectional regions has elapsed since an RF wave is applied for a purpose of labeling fluid flowing into the imaging region, the imaging region into said at least two spatial ranges on a basis of the waiting periods, and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the first range having a shorter waiting period by using the first readout sequence and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the second range having a longer waiting period by using the second readout sequence.

9 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which the imaging region is divided into a plurality of sectional regions, so that a data acquiring process is performed, with respect to each of the sectional regions, after a predetermined waiting period has elapsed since an RF wave for a purpose of labeling fluid flowing into the sectional region is applied to a labeled region positioned away from the sectional region by a predetermined distance on an upstream side of the fluid, the imaging region into said at least two spatial ranges on the basis of the sectional regions, and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the first range including a major artery by using the first readout sequence and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the second range including a peripheral artery by using the second readout sequence.

10 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of a head of the patient are to be acquired by using an imaging method by which blood serving as the fluid is labeled, the imaging region into a range in which the labeled blood flows through a major artery and a range in which the labeled blood flows through a peripheral artery.

11 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to divide, when images of the patient are to be acquired by using a diffusion imaging method, the imaging region into said at least two spatial ranges, on a basis of a distribution of static magnetic field intensities, and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the first range having larger non-uniformity of a static magnetic field by using the first readout sequence and perform the data acquiring process on a range as the second range having smaller non-uniformity of the static magnetic field by using the second readout sequence.

12 . The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus acc

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Medical Sys Corp

Inventors

• Kimura Tokunori

Classifications

• G01R33/5602

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

• G01R33/5608

  Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels (image data processing or generation, in general G06T) · CPC title

• G01R33/5613

  Generating steady state signals, e.g. low flip angle sequences [FLASH] · CPC title

• G01R33/5607

  by reducing the NMR signal of a particular spin species, e.g. of a chemical species for fat suppression, or of a moving spin species for black-blood imaging · CPC title

• G01R33/5614

  using a fully balanced steady-state free precession [bSSFP] pulse sequence, e.g. trueFISP · CPC title