University of Utah Research Foundation

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Evgueni Kholmovski

Dennis Lee Parker

Nassir F Marrouche

Edward V R DiBella

Eun-Kee Jeong

Kim Seong-Eun Choi

Stephan Kannengiesser

Nathan Burgon

Christopher McGann

Marcos Daccarett

Joshua Blauer

Ashvin Kurian George

Troy Badger

Rob MacLeod

Robert Sillman Oakes

Methods and systems are described for treatment of atrial fibrillation. Certain embodiments provide methods of assessing a risk of thromboembolic stroke in a patient. The method comprises acquiring image data and determining an indicator of a degree of fibrosis of a patient's left atrium (LA) based on the image data. A treatment modality is then determined and administered to the patient based on the analysis of the image data.

Systems and methods for administering treatment of atrial fibrillation

A device for performing an MRI scan using patient specific scan parameters and a method of optimizing MRI image quality with patient specific scan parameters. The device includes a processor configured to receive MRI scout scan data of a patient injected with a contrast agent, generate a series of MRI scout scan images of the patient, select an initial inversion time (TI) based on the MRI scout scan images, determine a time interval between adjacent inversion pulses (TR) based on an ECG of the patient, calculate a relaxation time (T) based on TIand TR, calculate an optimized inversion time (TI) based on the T, and generate an output to an MRI device to perform an MRI scan of the patient based on TI.

Patient specific scan parameters for MRI scanning

A method of monitoring a position of a catheter tip relative to a target tissue. The method includes steps of identifying a wall structure in the target tissue; guiding a catheter towards the wall structure; monitoring a location of the catheter; directing a navigator beam towards the wall structure; aligning the navigator beam with the location of the catheter; monitoring a position of the wall structure using the navigator beam; and determining the position of the wall structure relative to the location of the catheter.

High temporal resolution monitoring of contact between catheter tip and target tissue during a real-time-MRI-guided ablation

A method of optimizing scan parameters for LGE-MRI. At least one cardiac MRI TI scout scan is performed by applying an inversion pulse every predetermined heartbeat of a patient. An initial value of an inversion time TIis determined by assessing a set of images generated from the scout scan. A first multiple of a duration between successive indicia of ventricular depolarization is selected, and a relaxation time T1 is determined based on the initial value Tand the first multiple of duration. An optimized inversion time TIfor LGE-MRI is determined based on the relaxation time T1 and a second multiple of a duration between successive indicia of ventricular depolarization. A correction factor is determined based on the optimized inversion time TIfrom the initial value of the inversion time TI.

Methods and apparatus for operating an MRI system is provided. The disclosure provides a diffusion-prepared driven-equilibrium preparation for an imaging volume and acquiring 3-dimensional k-space data from said prepared volume by a plurality of echoplanar readouts of stimulated echoes. An excitation radio-frequency signal and first and second inversion RF signals are provided to define a field-of-view (FOV).

Systems and methods for magnetic resonance imaging

A method of optimizing scan parameters for LGE-MRI. At least one cardiac MRI TI scout scan is performed by applying an inversion pulse every predetermined heart beat of a patient. An initial value of an inversion time TIis determined by assessing a set of images generated from the scout scan. A first multiple of a duration between successive indicia of ventricular depolarization is selected, and a relaxation time Tis determined based on the initial value Tand the first multiple of duration. An optimized inversion time TIfor LGE-MRI is determined based on the relaxation time Tand a second multiple of a duration between successive indicia of ventricular depolarization. A correction factor is determined based on the optimized inversion time TIfrom the initial value of the inversion time TI.

Methods and systems in a parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system utilize sensitivity-encoded MRI data acquired from multiple receiver coils together with spatially dependent receiver coil sensitivities to generate MRI images. The acquired MRI data forms a reduced MRI data set that is undersampled in at least a phase-encoding direction in a frequency domain. The acquired MRI data and auto-calibration signal data are used to determine reconstruction coefficients for each receiver coil using a weighted or a robust least squares method. The reconstruction coefficients vary spatially with respect to at least the spatial coordinate that is orthogonal to the undersampled, phase-encoding direction(s) (e.g., a frequency encoding direction). Values for unacquired MRI data are determined by linearly combining the reconstruction coefficients with the acquired MRI data within neighborhoods in the frequency domain that depend on imaging geometry, coil sensitivity characteristics, and the undersampling factor of the acquired MRI data. An MRI image is determined from the reconstructed unacquired data and the acquired MRI data.

Systems and methods for image reconstruction of sensitivity encoded MRI data

A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium are provided which perform motion correction of image data. A first set of data and a second set of data of k-space data of an object to be imaged are received. The first set of data and the second set of data include a plurality of phase encoded lines that encompass the object to be imaged. The first set of data correlates with the second set of data. A cross-correlation is calculated by multiplying the first set of data and the second set of data in k-space. A value of the motion of the object to be imaged that occurred between acquisition of the first set of data and acquisition of the second set of data is calculated using the cross-correlation. The second set of data is corrected using the calculated value to remove the motion. The correction process is repeated until the k-space data is completely processed.

Method and system for motion correction in imaging systems

Systems and methods for reconstruction of sensitivity encoded MRI data

In a PPA MRT method and apparatus, a selected region of k-space containing respective portions of some of the incomplete, measured data lines and respective portions of some of the complete, reconstructed data lines is designated. For each data line in the selected region, a level of the noise therein is identified. For each reconstructed, complete data line in the selected region, a scaling factor is calculated that is dependent on the noise level in that reconstructed, complete data line and the noise level in at least one neighboring incomplete, measured data line in the selected region. The scaling factor is then applied to the reconstructed, complete data line in question, so that the contribution of that line to the overall reconstructed image is adjusted according to the scaling factor. The scaling factor can be limited dependent on where the selected region is located in k-space.

Growing community of inventors

Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

Evgueni Kholmovski