University of Washington

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Tsinghua University

Chun Yuan

Jinnan Wang

Vasily L Yarnykh

Peter Boernert

William Sean Kerwin

Huijun Chen

Peter Börnert

Thomas S Hatsukami

Bradley Gene Calder

Andrew James Edwards

Matthew Douglas Hendel

Michael Günter Helle

Jaidev Haridas

Shuitao Fan

Aung Maw Oo

Phillip Taron

Niranjan Balu

Fei Liu

Dongxiang Xu

Chao Han

Renu Virmani

Jianming Cai

Marina S Ferguson

An imaging system () includes a subject support () that supports a subject in an examination region (). The imaging system further includes a detector () that detects a signal traversing the examination region, generating an output indicative of the examination region. The imaging system further includes a subject motion sensing system () that includes an optical system () that detects motion of the subject in the examination region and generates motion data indicative thereof. The imaging system further includes a console () that controls at least one of data acquisition or reconstruction based on the motion data.

Optical based subject motion detection in imaging systems

A medical system () and method () image a vessel wall automatically. A scout scan of a patient for localizing a target vessel of the patient is automatically performed () using magnetic resonance (MR). The scout scan is three-dimensional (3D) and isotropic. An MR data set of the scout scan is automatically reconstructed () into foot-to-head (FH), left-to-right (LR) and posterior-to-anterior (PA) projections. A3D imaging volume () encompassing the target vessel is automatically determined () from the projections, and a diagnostic scan of the 3D imaging volume () is performed () using MR.

Push-button vessel wall MRI with 3D scout scan

A magnetic resonance system (), and corresponding method, image a subject using a conversion-free interleaved black and bright blood imaging (cfIBBI) sequence. A MR scanner () is controlled to perform a plurality of repetitions of a black blood imaging sequence (). The black blood imaging sequence () includes a tissue nulling sub-sequence followed by a black blood acquisition sub-sequence () performed a time interval (TI) after the tissue nulling sub-sequence. The MR scanner () is further controlled to, between successive repetitions of the black blood imaging sequence (), perform a bright blood imaging sequence () including the tissue nulling sub-sequence followed by a bright blood acquisition sub-sequence () performed the time interval (TI) after the tissue nulling sub-sequence. The time intervals (TI) of the black blood imaging sequence () and the bright blood imaging sequence () are of the same duration.

Interleaved black and bright blood imaging for interleaved dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

A black blood magnetic resonance imaging sequence is performed using a magnetic resonance scanner. The sequence includes: applying a first flow sensitization gradient; applying a spoiler gradient after applying the first flow sensitization gradient; applying a second flow sensitization gradient after applying the spoiler gradient wherein the second flow sensitization gradient has area equal to the first flow sensitization gradient but of opposite polarity; applying a slice-selective radio frequency excitation pulse after applying the spoiler gradient; and performing a magnetic resonance readout after applying the second flow sensitization gradient and after applying the slice selective radio frequency excitation. The readout acquires magnetic resonance imaging data having blood signal suppression in the region excited by the slice-selective radio frequency excitation pulse. The magnetic resonance imaging data is suitably reconstructed to generate a black blood image that may be displayed.

Black blood MRI using a stimulated echo pulse sequence with flow sensitization gradients

In various embodiments, methods and systems for transferring data using a storage medium are provided. A storage medium may be shipped by a customer to a datacenter such that the data on the storage medium is copied to a storage associated with the datacenter or data in the storage is copied to the storage medium. The datacenter may support a cloud computing infrastructure that provides a storage account to the customer that is associated with the data copied from or copied to the storage medium. The storage medium further corresponds to a data transfer manifest that includes at least in part data mapping between storage service infrastructure and data in the storage medium. It is contemplated that embodiments of the present invention may further be implemented with data transfer service components that support a client component, storage service component, and a data transfer management component.

Data transfer service

Methods and systems for using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging include obtaining a T1-weighted MR image and a proton-density (PD) weighted MR image from a dual-image acquisition following an inversion-recovery (IR) pulse. The T1-weighted and PD-weighted images are used to obtain a polarity function describing a positive or negative polarity at individual voxels, which is used to reconstruct a polarity-enhanced PD-weighted image from the PD-weighted image. The polarity-enhanced PD-weighted image can be used for assessing at least plaque burden and juxtaluminal calcification (JCA).

Dual contrast vessel wall MRI using phase sensitive polarity maps

Interleaved black/bright imaging (IBBI) is performed using a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner wherein the black blood module of the IBBI includes: applying a first flow sensitization gradient; applying a spoiler gradient after applying the first flow sensitization gradient; applying a second flow sensitization gradient after applying the spoiler gradient wherein the second flow sensitization gradient has area equal to the first flow sensitization gradient but of opposite polarity; applying a slice selective radio frequency excitation pulse after applying the spoiler gradient; and performing a MR readout after applying the second flow sensitization gradient and after applying the slice selective radio frequency excitation wherein the readout acquires MR imaging data having blood signal suppression in the region excited by the slice selective radio frequency excitation pulse. The MR imaging data having blood signal suppression is reconstructed to generate black blood images, and MR imaging data generated by bright blood modules of the IBBI is reconstructed to generate bright blood images.

Interleaved black and bright blood dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI

Magnetic resonance (MR) spins are inverted by applying an inversion recovery (IR) radio frequency pulse (). MR signals are acquired at an inversion time (TI) after the IR radio frequency pulse. TI is selected such that a first tissue of interest (e.g., blood) exhibits negative magnetism excited by the IR radio frequency pulse and a second tissue (e.g., intraplaque hemorrhage tissue) exhibits positive magnetism excited by the IR radio frequency pulse. The acquired magnetic resonance signals are reconstructed to generate spatial pixels or voxels wherein positive pixel or voxel values indicate spatial locations of positive magnetism and negative pixel or voxel values indicates spatial locations of negative magnetism. A first image () representative of the first tissue is generated from spatial pixels or voxels having negative signal intensities, and a second image () representative of the second tissue is generated from spatial pixels or voxels having positive signal intensities.

Simultaneous non-contrast MR angiography and intraplaque hemorrhage (SNAP) MR imaging

An improved motion-sensitization driven equilibrium (iMSDE) sequence based upon an MLEV-4 sequence is used for black-blood vessel wall imaging. The MSDE pulse pattern that is used us a preparation sequence for other procedures employed to acquire images has been modified to produce the iMSDE sequence by the addition of a second 180 degree refocusing pulse and two motion sensitization gradients. The iMSDE sequence thus includes a group of four radio frequency (RF) pulses, as well as additional magnetic gradient pulses that are not included in the conventional MSDE sequence. Computer simulations indicate that this new pulse sequence is substantially more immune to local B1 inhomogeneity than conventional sequences. In vivo experiments have demonstrated significant signal improvement at high first-order moments (m) conditions compared to the traditional MSDE sequence.

Motion-sensitized driven equilibrium blood-suppression sequence for vessel wall imaging

A method for the automated segmentation of in vivo image data is disclosed. A region of carotid artery in a number of patients was imaged using MRI. Histological data for each imaged region was then obtained, identifying various atherosclerotic plaque components in the imaged region. A portion of the histological data, and the image data, was used to generate PDFs based on image intensity, and on morphological data (local wall thickness and distance from lumen). The remaining data was used to validate the method. A plurality of MRI images were taken at various weightings, and the images were registered and normalized. The lumen and outer wall boundary were identified. The PDFs were combined in a Bayesian analysis with the intensity and morphological data to calculate the likelihood that each pixel corresponded to each of four plaque components. A contour algorithm was applied to generate contours segmenting the images by composition.

Automated in vivo plaque composition evaluation

A contrast enhancement (CE) agent is infused into blood flowing through a site that is to be imaged with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two double inversion procedures are carried out, forming a quadruple inversion recovery (QIR) pulse sequence. Each double inversion procedure comprises a non-selective and slice-selective inversion RF pulse. The first double inversion procedure is followed by a first predefined inversion delay period, TI, and the second procedure by a second predefined inversion delay period, TI. A black-blood image can thus be produced in which blood appears consistently black and tissues surrounding the blood, such as a vessel wall, heart, atherosclerotic plaque, or thrombus, are clearly visible. Unlike the prior art black-blood imaging technique, the QIR method does not require a precise knowledge of the Tof the blood carrying the CE agent in order to suppress the signal and artifacts caused by the blood flowing through the site.

Quadruple inversion recovery for quantitative contrast-enhanced black blood imaging

A reduced field-of-view (FOV) imaging technique combines suppression of signals from outer volume and inflowing blood. Both outer volume and blood suppression are achieved using an SFQIR (Small-FOV Quadruple-inversion-Recovery) preparative pulse sequence including two double-inversion pulse pairs separated by appropriate delays. Within each pair, inversion pulses are successively applied to the imaged slice and the slab orthogonal to the imaging plane, with the thickness equal to the FOV size in the phase-encoding direction. Each double-inversion results in a reinversion of the magnetization in a central part of the FOV, while outer areas of the FOV and inflowing blood remain inverted. The SFQIR module was implemented for single-slice and multislice acquisition with a fast spin-echo readout sequence. Timing parameters of the sequence corresponding to the maximal suppression efficiency can be found by minimizing variation of the normalized signal over the entire range of Toccurring in tissues.

Quantitative contrast enhanced black-blood imaging using quadruple-inversion recovery

A method for automatic vessel wall thickness measurement at any point along the perimeter of either luminal or outer vessel wall boundaries. The method employs both Delaunay triangulation and multiresolution tiling. The MaxMin angle property of the Delaunay triangulation is used to define the minimum energy function to calculate thickness. Multiresolution tiling is employed to enable the MaxMin angle lemma to be determined. The triangulation MaxMin angle lemma enables a minimal energy function to be defined based on triangulation angles, providing a stable and consistent geometrical computation. Additional morphological indexes can be assessed to achieve comprehensive quantification of vascular morphology. For example, based on the wall thickness, a set of vascular shape descriptors can be developed to distinguish different types of plaque morphology at different parts of a vessel wall.

Computation of wall thickness

A method for characterizing the risk associated with atherosclerosis is disclosed. The method uses one or more images of cross-sections of the artery or other vessel of interest to identify and locate components of the atherosclerotic deposit, including any hemorrhage, necrotic core, and calcification, and to determine the status and composition of the fibrous cap. In one embodiment, high resolution MRI images are utilized, although other imaging modalities may alternatively be used. A simple scoring system is applied that accounts for the presence of these components and more heavily weights the presence of these components in the juxtaluminal portion of the deposit. The status of the fibrous cap (intact or ruptured) and the composition of the fibrous cap (collagen or mixed tissue) are also incorporated into a final atherosclerosis risk score.

Method and system for atherosclerosis risk scoring

A multi-slice double inversion recovery (DIR) pulse sequence with read out of a signal for imaging successive slices implemented on a magnetic resonance image scanner. In the method, when the DIR pulse sequence is applied before imaging each slice, a slab-selective inversion re-inverts the entire slab that includes all of the slices. All slices are imaged within a predefined repetition time (TR). The number, N, of slices acquired per TR controls the inversion time to execute the read out of the signal for imaging each slice at a zero-crossing point of blood. In a test, multi-slice DIR images of carotid arteries were obtained with N ranging from 2-8, for four subjects. The results were compared with those for both standard single-slice DIR, and inflow saturation techniques. Multi-slice DIR with N=2-6 provided blood flow suppression in carotid arteries similar to that of single-slice DIR, and significantly better than inflow saturation.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Chun Yuan