Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Frederik Visser

Johan Samuel Van Den Brink

Johannes J Van Vaals

Rudolf Theodoor Springorum

Daniel Bystrov

Michael Harald Kuhn

Kirsten Regina Meetz

Jouke Smink

Romhild Martijn Hoogeveen

Willem Marten Prins

Paulus Cornelius Hendrikus Adrianus Haans

Liesbeth Geerts-Ossevoort

Aletta J W Kramer

Bartholomeus Muskens

Lolkje Frederika Zoer

Leonardus Carolus Petrus Josephus Mollevanger

Marco H J Nijenhuis

The invention relates to motion correction in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), implemented as a MRI apparatus or system, computer programs for such, and a method. A motion pattern of a region of interest (ROI) is estimated by: selecting a fixed point at an anatomical position that is pre-determined to be little or not affected by motion and rotating a point in the ROI that is affected by motion on the basis of motion detected by a navigator or other methods. From the estimated motion pattern of the ROI, the field of view may be adapted by adjusting the gradients and the bandwidth of the RF pulses of the MR system in the acquisition sequence to avoid or reduce motion artefacts. Alternatively motion correction is carried out on the reconstructed images.

Reducing motion artefacts in MRI

The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of at least a portion of a body () of a patient placed in an examination volume of a MR device (). The method comprises the steps of: -subjecting the portion of the body () to a first imaging sequence for acquiring a first signal data set () from a central portion of k-space, wherein magnetic resonance is excited by means of RF pulses having a large flip angle (&#x3b1;); -subjecting the portion of the body () to a second imaging sequence for acquiring a second signal data set () from the central portion of k-space, wherein magnetic resonance is excited by means of RF pulses having a small flip angle (&#x3b1;); -subjecting the portion of the body () to a third imaging sequence for acquiring a third signal data set () at least from a peripheral portion of k-space, wherein magnetic resonance is excited by means of RF pulses having an intermediate flip angle (&#x3b1;); -reconstructing a first MR image () from a combination of the first signal data set () and the third signal data set () and -reconstructing a second MR image () from a combination of the second signal data set () and the third signal data set ().

Fast dual contrast MR imaging

In a workflow management method and apparatus, one or more computers are programmed to receive an original sequence, such as a scan sequence which controls a diagnostic scanner to perform an imaging procedure. An available time span within which to perform the original sequence is also received. The available time span is compared with a duration of the original scan sequence. If the original scan sequence duration is longer than the available time span, one or more alterable subsequences of the original sequence are shortened to create an adjusted scan sequence that fits into the available time span.

Method, system, and a computer readable medium for adjustment of alterable sequences within a diagnostic workflow management

The apparatus comprises an input for receiving a suitable source image data of an object. The core of the apparatus is formed by a control unitarranged to load image data from the input and determine a spatial position and orientation of a portion of the object and to automatically calculate actual parameters of the imaging geometry based on said position and orientation and using default parameters if the imaging geometry, selected by the control unit in accordance with the portion of the object. The apparatus according to the invention comprises a recognition module arranged to determine a spatial position and orientation of the portion of the object with respect to a coordinate system of an imaging apparatus conceived to use the actual parameters of the imaging geometry provided by the apparatus.

Automatic determination of parameters of an imaging geometry

In a magnetic resonance imaging method magnetic resonance signal samples are received for a predetermined field of view by a receiving antenna having a spatial sensitivity profile. The sampling in the k space corresponds to the predetermined field of view in the geometrical space. Folded-over images having folded-over pixel values are reconstructed from the sampled magnetic resonance signals. Pixel contributions for spatial positions within the predetermined field of view are calculated from the folded-over pixel values and the spatial sensitivity profile of the receiver antenna. The magnetic resonance image is formed from the pixel contributions for spatial positions within the predetermined field of view. Thus, aliasing or fold-over artefacts caused by a field of view that is too small are avoided.

Magnetic resonance imaging method involving sub-sampling

The proposed MRI apparatus provides a solution to the problem of a limited number of receiver channels. The main idea is to make use of the imaging parameters when selecting and/or combining the RF signals of at least two RF coils into separate receiver channels. Such an imaging parameter may be, for example, the phase encoding direction.

MRI apparatus and method for selectively routing/diverting and combining signals along different paths

A magnetic resonance method for forming a fast dynamic image from a plurality of signals of an RF probe is described. The RF probe is moved relative to an object to be imaged so as to acquire at least two adjacent Fields-of-View (FOV) which are reconstructed so as to form an image of a region of interest which includes both FOVs. The object to be imaged is scanned by a moving RF antenna. Furthermore, the first FOV is centered at the initial probe position and after each subsequent scan the position of the imaging field within the actual FOV is determined. From that data the next position of the RF probe relative to the object is computed and, if the imaging field runs out of the actual FOV, the RF antenna is moved to the estimated next position of the RF probe so that the subsequent FOV is centered again at the RF probe position. A composite image is then generated from the successive images of the various adjacent FOVs.

Magnetic resonance method, apparatus and computer program product

In interventional MRI, for example, in neurosurgical applications, the head of a patient must be positioned on a head support while allowing reproducible manipulation of the head. The head support must be made of a material that is compatible with MR. Furthermore, spatial restrictions imposed by the bore of the magnetic resonance apparatus have to be dealt with. The head support in accordance with the invention includes a support whereon the patient head or a stereotactic frame can be rested. The head support is suppored by a mounting device. Both the support and mounting device are fixed on the table top. The mounting device provides a sliding surface that enables rotation of the support relative to the mounting device. The support can be curved towards the table top thus providing a concave surface so as to lower the supporting surface for a stereotactic frame and hence to minimize the total volume of the construction. When a radius of between 10 cm and 18 cm is chosen for the sliding surface, the patient will not suffer from stress to the cervical vertebrae during rotation of the supporting means. The reproducibility of the patient positioning with respect to the head support is thus improved, since it is not necessary to reposition the patient after each rotation so as to reduce the induced stress.

Head support for interventional MR

A diagnostic imaging system, notably a magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a receiver antenna for picking-up magnetic resonance signals and an ultrasound probe for receiving ultrasound echoes. A reconstruction unit is arranged to reconstruct a diagnostic image from the magnetic resonance signals and the ultrasound echoes in particular, the magnetic resonance image and ultrasound images are registered in a common reference frame and geometric distortions in the ultrasound image are corrected on the basis of the magnetic resonance image. Different tissues types are distinguished in the magnetic resonance image and corrections are made for differences between ultrasound sound velocities in these tissue types. Further, information contained in the magnetic resonance signals can be displayed in combination in the ultrasound echoes.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Frederik Visser