Dictionary-free MR parameter inference for fingerprinting reconstruction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633455-B1
Application number	US-201514965765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2015
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method of generating Magnetic Resonance (MR) parameter maps includes creating one or more parameter maps, each respective parameter map comprising initial parameter values associated with one of a plurality of MR parameters. A dynamical update process is performed over a plurality of time points. The dynamical update process performed at each respective time point includes applying a randomized pulse sequence to subject using an MR scanner to acquire a k-space dataset. This randomized pulse sequence is configured to excite a distinct range of values associated with the plurality of MR parameters. The dynamical update process further includes applying a reconstruction process to the k-space dataset to generate an image and using a tracking process to update the one or more parameter maps based on the randomized pulse sequence and the image.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of generating Magnetic Resonance (MR) parameter maps, the method comprising:
creating one or more parameter maps, each respective parameter map comprising initial parameter values associated with one of a plurality of MR parameters;
performing a dynamical update process over a plurality of time points, wherein the dynamical update process performed at each respective time point comprises:
applying a randomized pulse sequence to subject using an MR scanner to acquire a k-space dataset, wherein the randomized pulse sequence is configured to excite a distinct range of values associated with the plurality of MR parameters;
applying a reconstruction process to the k-space dataset to generate an image; and
using a tracking process to update the one or more parameter maps based on the randomized pulse sequence and the image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the reconstruction process based on the one or more parameter maps.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reconstruction process applies an optimization process to the k-space dataset and the one or more parameter maps are used to update ground truth information used by the optimization process.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking process uses a filter to determine a one-dimensional time series for each voxel included in the image.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the filter is an extended Kalman filter.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the filter is an unscented Kalman filter.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the filter is a particle filter.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the tracking process uses a parallel computing system to determine the one-dimensional time series for multiple voxels in parallel during each respective time point of the dynamical update process.

9. The method of claim 1 , where each k-space data is acquired using a spiral trajectory.

10. The method of claim 1 , where each k-space data is acquired using a variable spiral trajectory.

11. An article of manufacture for generating Magnetic Resonance (MR) parameter maps, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:
creating one or more parameter maps, each respective parameter map comprising initial parameter values associated with one of a plurality of MR parameters;
performing a dynamical update process over a plurality of time points, wherein the dynamical update process performed at each respective time point comprises:
applying a randomized pulse sequence to subject using an MR scanner to acquire a k-space dataset, wherein the randomized pulse sequence is configured to excite a distinct range of values associated with the plurality of MR parameters;
applying a reconstruction process to the k-space dataset to generate an image; and
using a tracking process to update the one or more parameter maps based on the randomized pulse sequence and the image.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
updating the reconstruction process based on the one or more parameter maps.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the reconstruction process applies an optimization process to the k-space dataset and the one or more parameter maps are used to update ground truth information used by the optimization process.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , wherein the tracking process uses a filter to determine a one-dimensional time series for each voxel included in the image.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the filter is an extended Kalman filter.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the filter is an unscented Kalman filter.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the filter is a particle filter.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the tracking process uses a parallel computing system to determine the one-dimensional time series for multiple voxels in parallel during each respective time point of the dynamical update process.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , where each k-space data is acquired using a spiral trajectory.

20. A system for generating Magnetic Resonance (MR) parameter maps, the system comprising:
an MR scanner comprising a plurality of coils configured to acquire a plurality of k-space datasets representative of tissue properties of a subject; and
a central computer configured to:
create one or more parameter maps, each respective parameter map comprising initial parameter values associated with one of a plurality of MR parameters associated with tissue properties of the subject; and
perform a dynamical update process over a plurality of time points, wherein the dynamical update process performed at each respective time point comprises:
applying a randomized pulse sequence to the subject using the MR scanner to acquire a respective k-space dataset, wherein the randomized pulse sequence is configured to excite a distinct range of values associated with the plurality of MR parameters,
applying a reconstruction process to the respective k-space dataset to generate an image, and
using a tracking process to update the one or more parameter maps based on the randomized pulse sequence and the image.

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Mailhe Boris
• Nadar Mariappan
• Chen Xiao
• Wang Qiu

Classifications

• G06T12/30 Primary

  Image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction · CPC title

• G06T2211/412

  Dynamic · CPC title

• G06T11/008 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01R33/50 Primary

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

• G01R33/5611 Primary

  Parallel magnetic resonance imaging, e.g. sensitivity encoding [SENSE], simultaneous acquisition of spatial harmonics [SMASH], unaliasing by Fourier encoding of the overlaps using the temporal dimension [UNFOLD], k-t-broad-use linear acquisition speed-up technique [k-t-BLAST], k-t-SENSE (structural details of arrays of sub-coils G01R33/3415) · CPC title