Picker International, Inc.

Carolyn A Kershaw

John L Patrick, Iii

Douglas M Blakeley

E Mark Haacke

Raymond E Gangarosa

A portion of a subject (22) which is undergoing respiratory or other motion is disposed in an image region (20) to be examined. A respiratory or other motion monitor (50) monitors the cyclic respiratory motion and provides output signals indicative of chest expansion. A phase encoding gradient selector (60) selects the phase encoding gradient that is to be applied by a gradient magnetic field controller (40) and coil (42). A central phase encoding gradient is selected corresponding to a chest relaxation extreme and minimum and maximum phase encoding gradients are selected corresponding to a chest expansion extreme (FIG. 2). Intermediate degrees of monitored physical movement cause the selection of corresponding intermediate phase encoding gradients. Resonance signals collected during each phase encoding gradient are Fourier or otherwise transformed (80) into a corresponding view. A filter (92) weights each view such that views closest to the central phase encoding gradient are weighted most heavily and views adjacent the minimum and maximum phase encoding gradients are weighted least heavily. The physical position of pixels within each view are scaled (94) to adjust each view in accordance with the degree of physical expansion. The weighted and scaled views are transformed into an image memory (120) for display on a video display (122) or the like.

Centrally ordered phase encoding

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (A) generates a uniform main magnetic field, gradient fields transversely thereacross, excites resonance in nuclei within an image region, receives radio frequency signals from the resonating nuclei, and reconstructs images representative thereof. Electrodes (30) monitor the cardiac cycle of a patient (B) being imaged and an expansible belt (32) monitors the respiratory cycle. A carrier signal from a generator (52) is modulated with the respiratory signals. The modulated carrier signals are combined (60) with the cardiac signals and converted to a light signal by a light source (62). A fiber optic cable (36) conducts the light signals to a light receiver (70). Band pass filters (72, 100) separate the received cardiac and respiratory encoded carrier signals. A zero detector (80) provides a scan initiation signal in response to a preselected portion of the cardiac cycle. The respiratory encoded carrier signal is demodulated by demodulator (102) and a comparator (116) blocks or enables the processing of image data during a selected window of the respiratory cycle. A window adjustment means (118) adjusts the respiratory window as a function of phase encoding of the resonating nuclei.

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Mentor, OH, United States of America

Carolyn A Kershaw