Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Dirk Ertel

Yiannis Kyriakou

Philipp Bernhardt

Michael Stark

A method for determining two-dimensional image data from at least one sectional surface of an acquisition volume as part of a magnetic resonance imaging process by a combined apparatus, including a magnetic resonance imaging facility and an X-ray facility, is provided. The method includes controlling the X-ray facility to acquire at least one X-ray image that images at least part of an object. At least one piece of object information is determined by image processing the X-ray image. At least one sectional-surface parameter that defines an arrangement of the sectional surface in the acquisition volume is determined. The magnetic resonance imaging facility is controlled to acquire measurement data relating to the sectional surface. The two-dimensional image data is calculated from the measurement data. The sectional-surface parameter is used as the basis for the control of the magnetic resonance imaging facility and/or for the calculation of the two-dimensional image data.

Determining two-dimensional image data from at least one sectional surface of an acquisition volume as part of a magnetic resonance imaging process

A method is provided for establishing an overlay image to be displayed from medical image datasets of a recording region of a patient registered with one another containing at least two items of different image information. The method includes establishing, for at least a part of the overlay image, an image value of the overlay image at an image position by addition or subtraction of an image value of at least one base image dataset of the medical image datasets at the image position and a modified image value of at least one modification image dataset of the medical image datasets at the image position dependent on the image value of the base image dataset at the image position.

Establishing an overlay image to be displayed from a base image dataset and a modification image dataset of medical image datasets

The acquisition and processing of measurement data by a combined magnetic resonance and X-ray device are provided. Several X-ray images are acquired in succession by a X-ray acquisition unit, and the X-ray images are processed to determine movement data describing a movement of a test subject or at least one region of the test subject during a given time interval. Several data points representing a magnetic resonance signal strength for different phase encodings are acquired by a magnetic resonance acquisition unit during the time interval or an equivalent further time interval, in which the same movement pattern of the test subject or the region is expected. The data points are processed to generate a real space image as a function of the movement data, and/or an acquisition parameter used for the acquisition of at least one of the data points is adjusted as a function of the movement data.

Acquisition and processing of measurement data by a combined magnetic resonance and X-ray device

For the purpose of reliable and comprehensive patient care, a medical imaging system for combined magnetic resonance and X-ray imaging is provided. The medical imaging system includes a magnetic resonance imaging unit and an X-ray imaging unit that are connected to each other mechanically such that the X-ray imaging unit is built into the magnetic resonance imaging unit and both units surround a patient aperture. The X-ray imaging unit includes a ring that has an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector and may rotate about the patient aperture. The ring is composed of at least four ring sectors, of which two ring sectors may be detached from the ring and at least two ring sectors are fixed in place. An X-ray detector is arranged on one of the detachable ring sectors, and an X-ray source is arranged on the other of the detachable ring sectors.

Medical imaging system for combined magnetic resonance imaging and X-ray imaging

A method for reconstructing an image data set from magnetic resonance data is provided. First measurement data is captured using an image capturing device. The first measurement data is captured using temporal and/or spatial subsampling and is used for reconstructing the image data set with a compressed sensing algorithm in which a boundary condition that provided agreement with the measurement data and a target function that is used in an iterative optimization. The compressed sensing algorithm evaluates candidate data sets for the image data set are used. In the reconstruction using the compressed sensing algorithm, in addition to the first measurement data, second measurement data that is captured by a second imaging modality that is different from the first imaging modality of the first measurement data but by the same image capturing device. The second measurement data is registered to the first measurement data, by a modification of the boundary condition and/or target function.

Reconstruction of an image data set from measurement data of an image capturing device

A method is disclosed for automatically controlling the exposure in an X-ray imaging of a moving object to be irradiated. An embodiment of the method includes generating X-ray images at different times with a predeterminable pulse width of X-ray radiation; determining at least one moving image region from at least two of the generated X-ray images; determining at least one moving edge of the moving image region; selecting at least one pixel of the edge; determining the time dependence of the intensity of the pixel from the generated X-ray images; evaluating the time dependence of the intensity; and changing the pulse width in accordance with the evaluation. Alternatively, the spatial dependency of the intensity can also be evaluated close to the edge. Advantages of ensuring an optimum image quality and reducing negative influences of a sub-optimum parameter selection are realized.

Method and x-ray imaging device for automatically controlling the exposure in x-ray imaging

X-ray image data of an examination subject is acquired for an acquisition period by an X-ray detector of an X-ray system simultaneously with a decay process of a radioactive material taking place in or on the examination subject. The X-ray image data includes information relating to an X-ray attenuation distribution of the examination subject and information relating to the decay process. Correction image data representing the information relating to the decay process in the X-ray image data for the acquisition period is determined. Corrected X-ray image data for the acquisition period is generated using the X-ray image data and the correction image data.

Correcting X-ray image data relating to a decay process of a radioactive material

A method for correction of an x-ray image recorded with an x-ray device with an anti-scatter grid for effects of the anti-scatter grid is provided. The anti-scatter grid has a spatially periodically repeating geometrical embodiment, and a calibration image recorded without an imaging object is used. The calibration image and the x-ray image are transformed by a transformation into the position frequency space. In the position frequency space, adaptation parameters describing changes of the calibration image optimizing a measure of matching between the x-ray image and the calibration image are established. For correction, the adapted calibration image is subtracted from the x-ray image, and the x-ray image is transformed back into the position space again using an inverse of the transformation.

Correction of an x-ray image for effects of an anti-scatter grid

Determining collateral information describing blood flow in collaterals of a blood vessel system in a target region of a patient from a four-dimensional vascular data set describing image values of temporal flow of a contrast medium and/or marked blood constituents as recorded by a medical imaging device is provided. A method includes segmenting the blood vessel system in the vascular data set and determining collaterals among the segmented blood vessels by a collateral classifier. For all collaterals determined, a diameter of the collateral is determined taking into account the segmentation, a filling parameter describing the filling of the collaterals, and a time parameter describing the time response relative to a reference point in the blood vessel system from a temporal course of the image values in a portion of the collaterals under consideration. The method includes determining the collateral information from the diameter, the filling parameter, and the time parameter.

Method for determining collateral information describingthe blood flow in collaterals, medical imaging device, computer program and electronically readable data medium

A method for improving the image quality of a three-dimensional magnetic resonance image dataset recorded with a magnetic resonance device, wherein, from at least one correction image dataset recorded with a modality other than magnetic resonance imaging, registered with the magnetic resonance image dataset, showing at least partly the same recording region as the magnetic resonance image dataset, especially an x-ray image dataset, relevant material parameters are derived locally-resolved for the magnetic resonance imaging, which are used for establishing a virtual magnetic resonance comparison dataset in a simulation wherein, as a function of a comparison between the magnetic resonance image dataset and the magnetic resonance comparison dataset, at least one measure parameter describing an image quality improvement measure to be applied in the k-space is determined and the image quality improvement measure is carried out with the measure parameter relating to the magnetic resonance image dataset.

Image quality of a magnetic resonance image dataset

A method compensates for image artifacts in a first imaging device for imaging a first subregion of a body. The image artifacts are caused by a second subregion of the body being disposed outside of a first field of view for the first device. First measured data for the first field of view is acquired by the first device. The first subregion lies in the first field of view. Second measured data are acquired for a second field of view in a second imaging device. Image data representing the subregions in the second device are calculated from the second measured data. A model representing the subregions is calibrated using the calculated image data. The data representing the second subregion in the first device are simulated using a calibrated model. A correction of the first measured data is performed using simulated data for reducing the image artifacts.

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Forchheim, Germany

Dirk Ertel