Method and apparatus for extended phase correction in phase sensitive magnetic resonance imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9881394-B2
Application number	US-201615270341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2016
Priority date	Feb 28, 2012
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and software for extended phase correction in phase sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging. A magnetic resonance image or images may be loaded into a memory. Two vector images A and B associated with the loaded image or images may be calculated either explicitly or implicitly so that a vector orientation by one of the two vector images at a pixel is substantially determined by a background or error phase at the pixel, and the vector orientation at the pixel by the other vector image is substantially different from that determined by the background or error phase at the pixel. A sequenced region growing phase correction algorithm may be applied to the vector images A and B to construct a new vector image V so that a vector orientation of V at each pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel. A phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images may be generated using the vector image V, and the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images may be displayed or archived.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computerized method for generating a phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images comprising:
(a) acquiring a magnetic resonance image or images containing background or error phase information;
(b) calculating two vector images A and B using the acquired image or images so that a vector orientation by one of the two vector images at a pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel, and the vector orientation at the pixel by the other vector image is substantially different from that determined by the background or error phase at the pixel;
(c) applying a sequenced region growing phase correction algorithm to the vector images A and B to construct a new vector image V, wherein the algorithm comprises:
(i) selecting an initial seed pixel or pixels and assigning either A or B of the initial seed pixel or pixels as a value of V for the initial seed pixel or pixels;
(ii) selecting a secondary seed pixel and selecting either A or B of the secondary seed pixel as a value of V for the secondary seed pixel based on whether A or B of the secondary seed pixel has a smaller angular difference with an estimated V for the secondary seed pixel;
(iii) determining for the secondary seed pixel a local quality metric for each of the nearest neighbor pixels of the secondary seed pixel for which V has not been determined and assigning a priority to each of the nearest neighbor pixels using the local quality metric in order to determine the sequence by which each of the nearest neighbor pixels is to be selected as a further seed pixel;
(iv) repeating the steps of (ii) and (iii) to complete the sequenced region growing with respect to further seed pixels and to construct the vector image V so that a vector orientation of V at each pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel;

(d) generating the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images from the acquired magnetic resonance image or images using the vector image V; and
(e) displaying or archiving the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images, and further comprising correcting vector images A and B with a global linear error phase correction in one or more dimensions prior to performing the sequenced region growing.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a low-pass filter to vector image V before generating the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein amplitudes of the vector images A and B at a pixel are weighted by a signal amplitude at the pixel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein an initial seed pixel or pixels are selected from a high-quality region, wherein high-quality comprises a predetermined signal-to-noise ratio or a predetermined local orientational coherence for the vector images A or B.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein an initial seed pixel or pixels and the value of V at the initial seed pixel or pixels are selected based on an orientational coherence of either A or B at the initial seed pixel or pixels with V at a spatially or temporally neighboring pixel or pixels of a spatially or temporally neighboring image for which V is already known or has been determined.

6. A computerized method for generating a phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images comprising:
(a) acquiring a magnetic resonance image or images containing background or error phase information;
(b) calculating two vector images A and B using the acquired image or images so that a vector orientation by one of the two vector images at a pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel, and the vector orientation at the pixel by the other vector image is substantially different from that determined by the background or error phase at the pixel;
(c) applying a sequenced region growing phase correction algorithm to the vector images A and B to construct a new vector image V, wherein the algorithm comprises:
(i) selecting an initial seed pixel or pixels and assigning either A or B of the initial seed pixel or pixels as a value of V for the initial seed pixel or pixels;
(ii) selecting a secondary seed pixel and selecting either A or B of the secondary seed pixel as a value of V for the secondary seed pixel based on whether A or B of the secondary seed pixel has a smaller angular difference with an estimated V for the secondary seed pixel;
(iii) determining for the secondary seed pixel a local quality metric for each of the nearest neighbor pixels of the secondary seed pixel for which V has not been determined and assigning a priority to each of the nearest neighbor pixels using the local quality metric in order to determine the sequence by which each of the nearest neighbor pixels is to be selected as a further seed pixel;
(iv) repeating the steps of (ii) and (iii) to complete the sequenced region growing with respect to further seed pixels and to construct the vector image V so that a vector orientation of V at each pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel;

(d) generating the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images from the acquired magnetic resonance image or images using the vector image V; and
(e) displaying or archiving the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images, wherein the sequenced region growing is performed in three spatial dimensions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequenced region growing is performed by including the temporal dimension for a series of dynamically acquired images.

8. A computerized method for generating a phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images comprising:
(a) acquiring a magnetic resonance image or images containing background or error phase information;
(b) calculating two vector images A and B using the acquired image or images so that a vector orientation by one of the two vector images at a pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel, and the vector orientation at the pixel by the other vector image is substantially different from that determined by the background or error phase at the pixel;
(c) applying a sequenced region growing phase correction algorithm to the vector images A and B to construct a new vector image V, wherein the algorithm comprises:
(i) selecting an initial seed pixel or pixels and assigning either A or B of the initial seed pixel or pixels as a value of V for the initial seed pixel or pixels;
(ii) selecting a secondary seed pixel and selecting either A or B of the secondary seed pixel as a value of V for the secondary seed pixel based on whether A or B of the secondary seed pixel has a smaller angular difference with an estimated V for the secondary seed pixel;
(iii) determining for the secondary seed pixel a local quality metric for each of the nearest neighbor pixels of the secondary seed pixel for which V has not been determined and assigning a priority to each of the nearest neighbor pixels using the local quality metric in order to determine the sequence by which each of the nearest neighbor pixels is to be selected as a further seed pixel;
(iv) repeating the steps of (ii) and (iii) to complete the sequenced region growing with respect to further seed pixels and to construct the vector image V so that a vector orientation of V at each pixel is substantially determined by the background or error phase at the pixel;

(d) generating the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images from the acquired magnetic resonance image or images using the vector image V; and
(e) displaying or archiving the phase corrected magnetic resonance image or images, wherein acquiring a magnetic resonance image or images comprises acquiring two-point Dixon water

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Ma Jingfei

Classifications

• G01R33/565 Primary

  Correction of image distortions, e.g. due to magnetic field inhomogeneities · CPC title

• G06T12/30

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

• G06F18/24147

  Distances to closest patterns, e.g. nearest neighbour classification · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• G06F18/2113

  by ranking or filtering the set of features, e.g. using a measure of variance or of feature cross-correlation · CPC title