MRI pulse sequence based on Q-space trajectory technique

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488710-B2
Application number	US-201313832891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods capable of improving acquisition times associated with obtaining diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data are discussed. In aspects, multiple points in q-space can be sampled in a single repetition time (TR). Acquisition time can be further increased using other techniques, such as a radial raster or compressed sensing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of applying a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence, comprising:
applying, via a coil, a single radio frequency (RF) excitation pulse to excite a first set of nuclei associated with a first slice;
applying a first diffusion preparation (DP) to the set of nuclei;
obtaining first diffusion data associated with a first point in q-space via application of a first signal readout;
applying a second DP to the set of nuclei; and
obtaining second diffusion data associated with a second point in q-space via application of a second signal readout, wherein the first point in q-space and the second point in q-space are sampled according to a raster that acquires additional radial lines intersecting a surface of a sphere by oversampling gradient directions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data are obtained in response to the single RF excitation pulse and wherein the raster is a radial raster.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data are obtained according to a spin-echo acquisition technique.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data are obtained according to a stimulated echo acquisition technique.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data are obtained according to a hybrid spin-echo stimulated echo acquisition technique.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first point in q-space and the second point in q-space are sampled according to a compressed sensing algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a third DP to the set of nuclei; and
obtaining third diffusion data associated with a third point in q-space via application of a third signal readout.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
applying a fourth DP to the set of nuclei; and
obtaining fourth diffusion data associated with a fourth point in q-space via application of a fourth signal readout.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single RF excitation pulse excites a second set of nuclei associated with a second slice based at least in part on a multi-band excitation technique.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein an orientation diffusion function (ODF) is determined based at least in part on the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first point in q-space and the second point in q-space are sampled according to a modified Cartesian raster.

12. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:
a magnet that generates an external field B 0 ;
an excitation/detection component that implements a q-space trajectory pulse sequence; and
a coil component that obtains information associated with an anatomical region based on a q-space trajectory pulse sequence, wherein the coil component applies a single radio frequency (RF) excitation pulse to excite a first set of nuclei associated with a first slice of the anatomical region, wherein the coil component applies a first diffusion preparation (DP) to the set of nuclei, wherein the coil component obtains first diffusion data associated with a first point in q-space via application of a first signal readout, wherein the coil component applies a second DP to the set of nuclei, and wherein the coil component obtains second diffusion data associated with a second point in q-space via application of a second signal readout, wherein the first point in q-space and the second point in q-space are sampled according to a raster that acquires additional radial lines intersecting a surface of a sphere by oversampling gradient directions.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data are obtained in response to the single RF excitation pulse and wherein the raster is a radial raster.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the coil component obtains the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data according to a spin-echo acquisition technique.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the coil component obtains the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data according to a stimulated echo acquisition technique.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the coil component obtains the first diffusion data and the second diffusion data according to a hybrid spin-echo stimulated echo acquisition technique.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the coil component samples first point in q-space and the second point in q-space according to a compressed sensing algorithm.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the coil component applies a third DP to the set of nuclei and obtains third diffusion data associated with a third point in q-space via application of a third signal readout.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the coil component applies a fourth DP to the set of nuclei and obtains fourth diffusion data associated with a fourth point in q-space via application of a fourth signal readout.

20. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:
means for generating an external field B 0 ;
means for implementing a q-space trajectory pulse sequence; and
means for obtaining information associated with an anatomical region based on a q-space trajectory pulse sequence, wherein the means for obtaining applies a single radio frequency (RF) excitation pulse to excite a first set of nuclei associated with a first slice of the anatomical region, applies a first diffusion preparation (DP) to the set of nuclei, obtains first diffusion data associated with a first point in q-space via application of a first signal readout, applies a second DP to the set of nuclei, and obtains second diffusion data associated with a second point in q-space via application of a second signal readout, wherein the first point in q-space and the second point in q-space are sampled according to a raster that acquires additional radial lines intersecting a surface of a sphere by oversampling gradient directions.

Assignees

• Boada Fernando E
• Yutzy Stephen Ross
• Univ Of Pittsburgh—Of The Commonwealth System Of Higher Education

Inventors

• Boada Fernando E
• Yutzy Stephen Ross

Classifications

• G01R33/561 Primary

  by reduction of the scanning time, i.e. fast acquiring systems, e.g. using echo-planar pulse sequences · CPC title

• G01R33/56341 Primary

  Diffusion imaging · CPC title