Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9795318-B2
Application number	US-201313967580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 1, 2007
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a setting unit which sets a section position, a first image creating unit which creates a first image at the set section position by a multi planar reformat on the basis of a magnetic resonance signal collected from a subject by a first imaging sequence at a 3D region or multiple section positions different from the set section position, a determining unit which determines a section position of the first image, and a second image creating unit which creates a second image at the determined section position by the multi planar reformat on the basis of a magnetic resonance signal collected from the subject by a second imaging sequence different from the first imaging sequence at a 3D region or multiple section positions different from the determined section position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
a static magnetic field magnet configured to generate a uniform static magnetic field;
a gradient magnetic field coil configured to generate a gradient magnetic field;
a RF coil configured to receive magnetic resonance signals;
a computer system, operatively coupled to at least the gradient magnetic field coil and the RF coil; the computer system including memory for storing instructions and a computer processor for executing the instructions so that the computer system is at least configured to:
collect the magnetic resonance signals from a subject using a 2D imaging technique in a first protocol and collect magnetic resonance signals from the subject using a 3D imaging technique in a second protocol;
generate a slice image at a first slice position on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the first protocol;
determine a second slice position for obtaining a multi planar reformat image to be a same slice position as the first slice position; and
generate the multi planar reformat image at the determined second slice position by a multi planar reformat on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the second protocol;
set a region where the multi planar reformat image overlaps with the slice image as a cutout section so that the slice image outside the multi planar reformat image is not identical with the cutout section set based on the slice image; and
inform an operator of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that the cutout section is not identical with the slice image at a time of displaying the multi planar reformat image created from the cutout section by at least one of a non-identical region displayed in the MPR image, a mark, a text message, an alarming sound, and/or a voice message.

2. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising the steps of:
generating a uniform static magnetic field using a static magnetic field magnet;
generating a gradient magnetic field using a gradient magnetic field coil;
receiving magnetic resonance signals using a RF coil;
operating a computer system, operatively coupled to at least the gradient magnetic field coil and the RF coil; the computer system including memory for storing instructions and a computer processor for executing the instructions so that the computer system performs at least the following:
collecting the magnetic resonance signals from a subject using a 2D imaging technique in a first protocol;
collecting magnetic resonance signals from the subject using a 3D imaging technique in a second protocol;
generating a slice image at a first slice position on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the first protocol;
determining a second slice position for obtaining a multi planar reformat image to be a same slice position as the first slice position;
generating, using a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, the multi planar reformat image at the determined second slice position by a multi planar reformat on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the second protocol;
setting a region where the multi planar reformat image overlaps with the slice image as a cutout section so that the slice image outside the multi planar reformat image is not identical with the cutout section set based on the slice image; and
informing an operator of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that the cutout section is not identical with the slice image at a time of displaying the multi planar reformat image created from the cutout section by at least one of a non-identical region displayed in the MPR image, a mark, a text message, an alarming sound, and/or a voice message.

3. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
a static magnetic field magnet configured to generate a uniform static magnetic field;
a gradient magnetic field coil configured to generate a gradient magnetic field;
a RF coil configured to receive magnetic resonance signals;
a computer system, operatively coupled to at least the gradient magnetic field coil and the RF coil; the computer system including memory for storing instructions and a computer processor for executing the instructions so that the computer system is at least configured to:
collect the magnetic resonance signals from a subject using a 2D imaging technique in a first protocol and collect magnetic resonance signals from the subject using a 3D imaging technique in a second protocol;
store information of a slice image generated in the past on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the first protocol;
determine a second slice position for obtaining a multi planar reformat image to be a same slice position as a first slice position of the slice image;
generate the multi planar reformat image at the determined second slice position by a multi planar reformat on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the second protocol;
set a region where the multi planar reformat image overlaps with the slice image as a cutout section so that the slice image outside the multi planar reformat image is not identical with the cutout section set based on the slice image; and
inform an operator of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that the cutout section is not identical with the slice image at a time of displaying the multi planar reformat image created from the cutout section by at least one of a non-identical region displayed in the MPR image, a mark, a text message, an alarming sound, and/or a voice message.

4. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
generating a uniform static magnetic field using a static magnetic field magnet;
generating a gradient magnetic field using a gradient magnetic field coil;
receiving magnetic resonance signals using a RF coil;
operating a computer system, operatively coupled to at least the gradient magnetic field coil and the RF coil; the computer system including memory for storing instructions and a computer processor for executing the instructions so that the computer system performs at least the following:
collecting magnetic resonance signals from a subject using a 2D imaging technique in a first protocol;
collecting magnetic resonance signals from the subject using a 3D imaging technique in a second protocol;
storing information of a slice image generated in the past on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the first protocol;
determining a second slice position for obtaining a multi planar reformat image to be a same slice position as a first slice position of the slice image;
generating, using a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, the multi planar reformat image at the determined second slice position by a multi planar reformat on the basis of the magnetic resonance signals collected in the second protocol;
setting a region where the multi planar reformat image overlaps with the slice image as a cutout section so that the slice image outside the multi planar reformat image is not identical with the cutout section set based on the slice image; and
informing an operator of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that the cutout section is not identical with the slice image at a time of displaying the multi planar reformat image created from the cutout section by at least one of a non-identical region displayed in the MPR image, a mark, a text message, an alarming sound, and/or a voice message.

5. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
a static magnetic field magnet configured to generate a uniform static magnetic field;
a gradient magnetic field coil configured to generate a gradient magnetic field;
a RF coil configured to receive magnetic resonance signals;
a computer system, operatively coupled to at least the gradient magnetic field coil and th

Assignees

• Toshiba Medical Sys Corp
• Fukuta Isao

Inventors

• Fukuta Toshio

Classifications

• A61B5/055 Primary

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

• A61B5/7425

  Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image · CPC title