Hitachi Medical Corporation

Fujifilm Healthcare Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Fujifilm Corporation

Hisako Nagao

Takayuki Abe

Kenta Sakuragi

Masahiro Takizawa

Tetsuhiko Takahashi

Suguru Yokosawa

Toru Shirai

Masaharu Ono

Kuniaki Harada

Chikako Moriwake

Hisaaki Ochi

Shinji Takahashi

Kosuke Ito

Hiroyuki Itagaki

Kenji Sakakibara

Takeshi Yatsuo

Tomohiro Goto

Yoshimi Noguchi

Yasuo Kawata

Miyuki Kawamura

Binrong Wu

Tomohiro Gotou

Ayaka Ikegawa

Yasuhide Yoshida

Kentaroh Sunaga

Automatically performing a serial examination flow including, for example, positioning, imaging, and post processing enables reducing a burden placed on the user by a manual operation and improving examination efficiency. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a computation unit that performs action control of the entire apparatus and computation and an imaging unit that performs imaging according to control performed by the computation unit, wherein the computation unit includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of examination flow data each defining a processing flow of at least one of imaging processing, post processing, display processing, and transfer processing, and stores a plurality of keywords respectively indicating contents of at least a part of the examination flow data, an input unit that receives an input instruction issued by a user for executing a desired examination, and an examination flow control unit that selects the examination flow data corresponding to the input instruction and causes processing defined by the selected examination flow data to be performed.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and control program for magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

An imaging unit of an MRI apparatus performs imaging of a positioning image of a subject including a spine; a first imaging that images a cross section including the spine and extending along a longitudinal direction of the spine; and a second imaging that images a cross section in a direction of traversing the spine. An automatic cross-section position setting unit detects a specific tissue of the spine using a scout image or an image including the spine acquired in the first imaging step, performs a matching process between the detected specific tissue of the spine and a spine model, and calculates an imaging cross-section position of the second imaging based upon a specific tissue position of the spine specified by matching, thereby performing automatic setting.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus with auto-positioning function, method for controlling magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and program for auto-setting of imaging plane

An automatic clipping technique capable of satisfactorily extracting blood vessels to be extracted is provided. A specific tissue extraction mask image which is created by extracting a specific tissue (for example, a brain) from a three-dimensional image acquired by magnetic resonance angiography and a blood vessel extraction mask image which is created by extracting a blood vessel from an area (a blood vessel search area) which is determined using a preset landmark position and the specific tissue extraction mask image are integrated to create an integrated mask. By applying the integrated mask to the three-dimensional image, a blood vessel is clipped from the three-dimensional image.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, image processor, and image processing method

Imaging failure of a positioning image due to the difference in the position or the size of a subject placed in the examination space is prevented, and accordingly, the extension of the examination time is prevented. A pre-scan for appropriately setting the imaging position for positioning imaging is automatically performed prior to the positioning imaging and the main imaging of an MRI apparatus, and a region where an examination part of a subject is present (the extent of the examination part) is detected using the measurement data. By using the detected extent of the examination part, it is possible to subsequently determine the imaging position or calculate the scan parameters used for imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and control program therefor

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus performs automatic positioning with high accuracy within a short time with respect to tissues having a complicated anatomic structure. First measurement of scout imaging is executed before main imaging for acquiring a diagnosis image, and one-dimensional or two-dimensional measurement data is acquired. The right and left of a subject is determined by using the measurement data acquired in the first measurement. A cross-section position in second measurement of the scout imaging is calculated by using a determination result in the right and left determination and the measurement data acquired in the first measurement, the second measurement at the cross-section position is executed, and two-dimensional measurement data is acquired. A cross-section position in the main imaging is calculated by using the two-dimensional measurement data acquired in the second measurement.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and automatic imaging position setting method

The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes: a calculation means for calculating the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves into the object according to the emission of RF pulses in a part of the object or a bed position where imaging is scheduled; a means for setting imaging conditions, in which the calculated amount of absorption satisfies conditions of the specified value of the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves, from the relationship between the calculated amount of absorption and the specified value of the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves; and a bed control device that controls a top plate according to the set imaging conditions.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and control method therefor

In order to provide a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus capable of calculating the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves into the object with high accuracy, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes: a calculation means for calculating the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves into the object upon the emission of RF pulses in a part of the object or a bed position where imaging is scheduled; a means for setting imaging conditions, in which the calculated amount of absorption satisfies conditions of the specified value of the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves, from the relationship between the calculated amount of absorption and the specified value of the amount of absorption of electromagnetic waves; and a bed control device that controls a top plate according to the set imaging conditions.

Magnetic resonace imaging apparatus and control method therefor

Desired imaging is performed within the SAR restriction without changing the imaging conditions set in advance when SAR exceeds an upper limit. In order to do so, in imaging of an object performed by combination of a plurality of pulse sequences, a SAR graph showing a temporal change in the predicted SAR value of each pulse sequence is displayed. When the predicted SAR value of the pulse sequence is the same as or exceeds the upper SAR limit, the exchange of such pulse sequences or the insertion of a waiting time is performed.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and SAR adjustment method

In order to provide a technique for accurately realizing an examination, which is for acquiring a plurality of images of the same examination section, without a complicated operation and an extension of an examination time, body movement information of a subject is acquired immediately before each imaging in an examination, and it is determined whether or not there is a change in the position of the subject by comparing it with body movement information immediately before reference imaging. Only when there is a change in the position of the subject, an imaging slice setting image is acquired again. Then, a recommended imaging slice is calculated using the newest imaging slice setting image.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and imaging slice determination method

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is configured to divide an object to be examined into a plurality of regions in a predetermined direction, set images of slice positions for each of the regions so that the slice positions are continuous in each region, obtain an image of each of the regions while moving the object stepwise, and acquire a plurality of image data having three types of categories for the region, the slice position and the imaging sequence. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus selectively sets one of the three types of categories and rearranges and displays a plurality of images having the set category in the lengthwise direction or the lateral direction according to the two other categories that have not been selectively set.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprises object placing means for placing an object in an imaging space, translating means for translating the object in a given direction by translating the object placing means in the given direction continuously or step-wise, magnetic field generating means for exciting the desired region of the object by generating a static magnetic field, a gradient magnetic field in the imaging space, and a high-frequency magnetic field in the imaging space, signal detecting means for detecting a magnetic resonance signal from the object, and control unit for controlling the translating means, magnetic field generating means and the signal detecting means, and translating the object continuously or stepwise to a predetermined position at a predetermined speed so as to capture a magnetic resonance image of the object. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus further comprises translation error detecting means for detecting an error of the position or the set value of the speed, and correcting means for correcting the error detected by the positional error detecting means.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprises static magnetic field generating means for generating a static magnetic field in an imaging space, a gradient magnetic field generating means for generating a gradient magnetic field in the imaging space, high-frequency magnetic field generating means for generating a high-frequency magnetic field so as to induce nuclear magnetic resonance in a subject placed in the imaging space, signal receiving means for detecting a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from the subject, signal processing means for reconstructing an image by using the detected nuclear magnetic resonance signal, display means for displaying the image, a table for placing the subject thereon to dispose the subject in the imaging means, and table moving means for moving the table on which the subject is placed. While moving the portions to be imaged of the subject continuously or stepwise in the imaging space and disposing the subject, a whole-body image of a large region of the subject is created. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus further comprises means for detecting information on the displacement of the subject from a desired position and setting means for setting movement information on the table according to the displacement information. The table moving means moves the table according to the movement information set by the setting means to capture the whole-body image.

An endoscope-like image taking method includes providing at least one peculiar index, which can be discriminated from other portions on an MR image, at the tip of a catheter, previously inserting a metal guide wire for guiding the catheter into a body cavity of a patient inserting the catheter into the body cavity along the guide wire, executing an MR imaging sequence of a plurality of sliced images intersecting the guide wire, reconstructing three-dimensional image data based upon the nuclear magnetic resonance signals, which are received by the guide wire, and determining the tip position and the inserting direction of the catheter by detecting the peculiar index provided at the tip of the catheter based upon the three-dimensional image data, and reconstructing the center projected image using the three-dimensional image data and setting the tip position and the inserting direction of the catheter as a view point and a line-of-sight direction and displaying the center projected image on a display means.

Endoscopic image pickup method and magnetic resonance imaging device using the same

An MRI apparatus and method are provided which are capable of properly setting imaging position of regions of a subject on a table and moving the table to the set positions, for imaging a wide range or the entire body range of the subject.

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Tokyo, Japan

Hisako Nagao