Method and magnetic resonance system to automatically determine imaging planes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9326701-B2
Application number	US-201313836851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 16, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

In a method and imaging apparatus to automatically determine imaging planes for an imaging procedure to visualize a percutaneous intervention of a patient along a trajectory to a target point, data are obtained that represent a reference coordinate system with three orthogonal reference planes, and data also are acquired that represent the trajectory. One of the reference planes is determined as a selected reference plane based on the arrangement thereof relative to the trajectory. A first imaging plane is defined such that the trajectory lies therein, and such that it has a defined arrangement in relation to the selected reference plane. A second imaging plane is defined such that the trajectory lies therein, and such that it is orthogonal to the first imaging plane. A third imaging plane is defined such that it is orthogonal to the first imaging plane and second imaging plane, and includes the target point.

First claim

I claim as my invention:

1. A computerized method to automatically determine imaging planes in an imaging procedure to visualize a percutaneous intervention of a patient whom an instrument proceeds along a trajectory within the patient from a starting point to a target point within the patient while the patient is situated in an imaging apparatus, said method comprising:
providing reference coordinate system data to a processor that represent a reference coordinate system of the patient, said reference coordinate system data defining three orthogonal reference planes of said reference coordinate system;
providing said processor with trajectory data representing the spatial arrangement of said trajectory and said target point, said trajectory having a defined spatial arrangement between said starting point and said target point in relation to said reference planes;
in said processor, automatically selecting one of said reference planes as a selected reference plane based on the arrangement of the reference planes relative to the trajectory;
in said processor, defining a first imaging plane such that said trajectory lies in said first imaging plane, and such that said first imaging plane has a defined spatial arrangement in relation to the selected reference plane;
in said processor, defining a second imaging plane such that the trajectory also lies in said second imaging plane and such that said second imaging plane is orthogonal to said first imaging plane;
in said processor, defining a third imaging plane such that said third imaging plane is orthogonal to said first imaging plane and is orthogonal to said second imaging plane, and such that said third imaging plane comprises said target point; and
from said processor, generating and emitting an electrical signal in a format to operate said imaging apparatus in order to acquire image data from the patient in said first, second and third imaging planes, said image data comprising data that visually represent said trajectory between said starting point and said target point.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising providing said reference coordinate system data to said processor with said three orthogonal planes respectively being a transverse plane, a sagittal plane and a frontal plane of said patient examined person.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining said first imaging plane such that a plane normal of said first imaging plane is parallel to a component of a plane normal of the selected reference plane that is perpendicular to said trajectory.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining said first imaging plane such that said first imaging plane has a minimized clearance with said selected reference plane.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said clearance is an angle between said first imaging plane and said selected reference plane.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining a clearance in said processor for at least two of the reference planes relative to said trajectory, and determining said selected reference plane dependent on the calculated clearance.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said clearance is an angle between said trajectory and said at least two of said reference planes.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising providing said reference coordinate system data to said processor that represent a lateral orientation of said reference planes, and determining at least one of said first, second and third imaging planes so as to have a lateral orientation based on the lateral orientation of one of said reference planes for which a clearance with respect to said at least one imaging plane is minimized.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said clearance is an angle between said one of said reference planes and said at least one imaging plane.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising aligning, with respect to a coordinate system, said lateral orientation of said at least one imaging plane on the lateral orientation of the reference plane for which said clearance is minimal.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said clearance is an angle between said at least one imaging plane and said reference plane.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
providing said processor with a volume data set that includes said trajectory and determining, in said processor, a reference point in said volume data set; and
determining at least one of said first, second and third imaging planes to have a center that is aligned on said reference point.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 comprising, in said processor, executing a linear coordinate displacement to align said center of said at least one of said imaging planes on said reference point.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining said third imaging plane so as to have a center aligned on said target point.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 comprising, in said processor, implementing a linear coordinate displacement to align said center of said third imaging plane on said target point.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising providing said trajectory data to said processor in a volume data set acquired from said examined person, said volume data set including said trajectory, and wherein said volume data set and said trajectory have a defined spatial arrangement relative to said reference planes.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising providing said trajectory data as data representing a position of a needle as said instrument in said percutaneous intervention.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imaging apparatus is a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus, and said method comprising:
acquiring magnetic resonance data from said patient in said first, second and third imaging planes, said magnetic resonance data including magnetic resonance trajectory data as said data representing said trajectory, in a plurality of magnetic resonance data acquisitions with a clock period; and
providing said magnetic resonance data to a display device in communication with said processor and, at said display device, presenting said visualization of said percutaneous intervention as two-dimensional, real-time magnetic resonance images in which said first, second and third reference planes are first, second and third magnetic resonance planes.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 comprising acquiring said magnetic resonance data with said clock period being smaller than a longitudinal relaxation time of nuclear spins that produce said magnetic resonance data.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18 comprising implementing an automatic monitoring of said visualization of said percutaneous intervention to identify an occurrence of at least one event selected from the group consisting of a signal deviation of said magnetic resonance data of said third magnetic resonance plane, a sensitive object in said examined person on said trajectory in either of said first or second magnetic resonance planes, and a susceptibility artifact on said trajectory in either of said first or second magnetic resonance planes.

21. A magnetic resonance system to automatically determine imaging planes in an imaging procedure to visualize a percutaneous intervention of a patient who an instrument proceeds along a trajectory within the examined person from a starting point to a target point within the examined person, said system comprising:
a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit;
a processor pro

Assignees

• Rothgang Eva
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Rothgang Eva

Classifications

• 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

• A61B5/055

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

• A61B10/0233

  Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments · CPC title

• A61B6/545

  involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters · CPC title

• A61B6/12

  Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies · CPC title