System and method for magnetic resonance fingerprinting at high field strengths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349339-A1
Application number	US-201615169166-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method is provided for operating a high-field magnetic resonance (MR) system includes performing a series of data acquisition modules without respiratory gating. Each data acquisition module is formed of a steady-state free precession pulse sequence. Performing the series of data acquisition modules includes varying at least one of an amplitude of an excitation pulse or a repetition time of the steady-state free precession pulse sequence between adjacent data acquisition modules in the series of data acquisition modules to acquire a series of MR data with random or pseudo-random imaging acquisition parameters. The series of MR data is compared to a dictionary of signal evolution profiles to determine a match between the series of MR data with at least one signal evolution profile in the dictionary indicating at least one quantitative parameter in the subject.

First claim

1 . A method for operating a high-field magnetic resonance (MR) system to acquire quantitative data from a subject arranged with in the MR system, wherein the method includes steps comprising:
controlling the high-field MR system to perform a preparation module configured to perform one of an inversion pulse or a magnetization preparation; controlling the high-field MR system to, following the preparation module, perform a series of data acquisition modules without respiratory gating, wherein each data acquisition module is formed of a steady-state free precession pulse sequence and wherein performing the series of data acquisition modules includes varying at least one of an amplitude of an excitation pulse or a repetition time of the steady-state free precession pulse sequence between adjacent data acquisition modules in the series of data acquisition modules to acquire a series of MR data with random or pseudo-random imaging acquisition parameters; comparing the series of MR data to a dictionary of signal evolution profiles to determine a match between the series of MR data with at least one signal evolution profile in the dictionary; and generating a report indicating at least one quantitative parameter in the subject based on the MR data and the match to the at least one signal evolution profile in the dictionary.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the dictionary of signal evolution profiles is free of respiratory spikes.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein varying at least one of an amplitude of an excitation pulse or a repetition time of the steady-state free precession pulse sequence includes performing a sinusoidal FA profile or a Perlin-noise TR variation profile.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the high-field MR system includes a static magnetic field of at least 4.7 Tesla.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the signal evolution profiles are sensitive to T 1 or T 2 relaxation times, or proton density signals.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the steady-state free precession pulse sequence implements a non-Cartesian sampling pattern.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein MR data includes one of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), magnetization transfer (MT), diffusion, or perfusion weighted data.

8 . A magnetic resonance (MR) system, comprising:
a magnet system configured to generate a static magnetic field of at least 4.7 Tesla about at least a portion of a subject arranged in the MR system; a gradient system configured to establish at least one magnetic gradient field with respect to the static magnetic field; a radio frequency (RF) system configured to deliver excitation pulses to the subject and acquire imaging data from the subject; a computer system programmed to:
control the gradient system and RF system to perform a preparation module including one of an inversion pulse or a magnetization preparation;
control the gradient system and RF system to perform a series of data acquisition modules, wherein each data acquisition module is formed of a steady-state free precession pulse sequence and wherein performing the series of data acquisition modules includes varying at least one of an amplitude of an excitation pulse or a repetition time of the steady-state free precession pulse sequence between adjacent data acquisition modules in the series of data acquisition modules to acquire a series of MR data including respiratory spikes; and
compare the series of MR data to a dictionary of signal evolution profiles to determine a match between the series of MR data with at least one signal evolution profile in the dictionary; and
based on the match, determine at least one quantitative parameter of the subject.

9 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the computer system is further programmed to determine the match by comparing the MR data with respiratory spikes to signal evolution profiles without respiratory spikes.

10 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the computer system is further programmed to acquire the MR data during quiescent periods between respiratory motion of the subject.

11 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the computer system is further programmed to vary the at least one of the amplitude of the excitation pulse or the repetition time of the steady-state free precession pulse sequence by performing a sinusoidal FA profile or a Perlin-noise TR variation profile.

12 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the signal evolution profiles are sensitive to T 1 or T 2 relaxation times, or proton density signals.

13 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the computer system is further programmed to acquire the MR data using a non-Cartesian sampling pattern.

14 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein MR data includes one of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), magnetization transfer (MT), diffusion, or perfusion weighted data.

15 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the computer system is further configured to generate a report indicating the at least one quantitative parameter of the subject.

16 . The MR system of claim 8 wherein the steady-state free precession pulse sequence includes a fast imaging with steady-state free precession (FISP) pulse sequence.

17 . A method for operating a high-field magnetic resonance (MR) system to perform a magnetic resonance fingerprinting process, wherein the method includes steps comprising:
controlling a high-field MR system with a static magnetic field of at least 4.7 Tesla to perform a preparation module configured to perform one of an inversion pulse or a magnetization preparation; controlling the high-field MR system to, following the preparation module, perform a series of data acquisition modules without respiratory gating, wherein each data acquisition module is formed of a steady-state free precession pulse sequence and wherein performing the series of data acquisition modules includes imaging parameters to acquire a series of MR data; performing a magnetic resonance fingerprinting reconstruction process by comparing the series of MR data to a dictionary to generate a report indicating at least one quantitative parameter in the subject.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the dictionary is consists of free-breathing, MR signal evolutions.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the series of MR data is acquired during quiescent periods between respiratory motion of the subject.

20 . The method of claim 17 further comprising generating a report indicating the at least one quantitative parameter in the subject mapped onto an anatomical image of the subject.

Assignees

• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Brady-Kalnay Susann
• Gulani Vikas
• Griswold Mark
• Flask Chris

Classifications

• G01R33/56563

  caused by a distortion of the main magnetic field B0, e.g. temporal variation of the magnitude or spatial inhomogeneity of B0 (G01R33/56509, G01R33/56518, G01R33/56536 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/5614 Primary

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

• G01R33/50

  based on the determination of relaxation times {, e.g. T1 measurement by IR sequences; T2 measurement by multiple-echo sequences} · CPC title

• G01R33/56509

  due to motion, displacement or flow, e.g. gradient moment nulling (G01R33/567 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/4824

  using a non-Cartesian trajectory · CPC title