Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Jochen Keupp

Peter Boernert

Julien Senegas

Peter Koken

Stefanie Remmele

Thomas Erik Amthor

Ulrich Wolfgang Katscher

Mariya Ivanova Doneva

Christoph G Leussler

Johan Samuel Van Den Brink

Holger Eggers

Kay Nehrke

Peter Mazurkewitz

Karsten Sommer

Christian Stehning

Bernd E Aldefeld

Astrid Ruth Franz

Rafael Wiemker

Bernhard Gleich

Paul Royston Harvey

Sascha Krueger

Peter Vernickel

Pieter Jan Van Der Zaag

Axel Saalbach

Ingmar Graesslin

Wilhelmus Franciscus Johannes Verhaegh

Ingo Schmale

Elwin De Weerdt

Tim Philipp Harder

Jörn Borgert

Tom Brosch

Jan Jakob Meineke

Thomas Francis Perkins

Holger Gruell

Dirk Burdinski

Peter Börnert

Sander Langereis

Danielle Beelen

Christian Findelkee

Mariya Ivanova Donevea

The present invention relates to an apparatus () for diagnostic image acquisition, comprising: an input unit (); a processing unit (); and an output unit (). The input unit is configured to receive a data value relating to at least one biomarker in a measurement blood sample of a patient. The processing unit is configured to determine a time to acquire a diagnostic image of the patient, wherein the determination comprises utilization of the data value. The output unit is configured to output an indication of the time to acquire the diagnostic image of the patient.

Apparatus for diagnostic image acquisition determination

A method of magnet resonance (MR) imaging of an object includes MR signal acquisition in a single scan providing information for electric properties imaging (EPT), which may include a phase map as well as tissue boundaries. The method includes: subjecting the object to a multi echo steady state imaging sequence or a fast spectroscopic imaging sequence that includes RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients, wherein two or more echo signals are generated after each RF excitation; acquiring the echo signals; deriving a magnitude image and a phase map from the acquired echo signals, which phase map represents the spatial RF field distribution induced by the RF pulses in the object; and reconstructing an electric conductivity map from the magnitude image and from the phase map, wherein tissue boundaries are derived from at least the magnitude image.

MR electric properties tomography without contrast agent

The present invention is directed to a RF transmit system () for a magnetic resonance examination system where it is intended to provide a solution for the problem of rapidly switching between operation modes of different peak power requirements at good power efficiencies. For this purpose the RF transmit system () comprises at least one RF channel () wherein the RF channel () has an RF amplifier (), at least two power supply devices () wherein each of the power supply devices () is configured to supply a voltage to the amplifier (). The RF transmit system () further comprises a DC switch () configured to switch the voltage supplied to the amplifier () between the power supply devices () and a controller () configured to switch the voltage based on sensor data.

RF transmit system with switchable power supply device

A method of magnet resonance (MR) imaging of an object including: subjecting an object in an examination volume of an MR device to a dual echo steady state imaging sequence, a free induction decay signal (FID) and an echo signal (ECHO) being generated in each interval between two successive RF pulses, wherein a pair of diffusion gradient waveforms (GDIF) of equal phase integral and opposed polarity is applied in the interval between the FID signal and the echo signal; &#x2014;acquiring the FID signals and the echo signals in a number of repetitions of the imaging sequence with varying phase encoding; and &#x2014;reconstructing a diffusion weighted MR image from the acquired FID signals and echo signals.

Dual echo steady state MR imaging using bipolar diffusion gradients

A medical imaging system includes a memory for storing machine executable instructions. The medical imaging system further includes a processor for controlling the medical imaging system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: receive magnetic resonance image data acquired according to a CEST magnetic resonance imaging protocol, wherein the magnetic resonance image data includes voxels, wherein each of the voxels includes a measured Z-spectrum for a set of saturation frequency offsets; assign a motion likelihood map to each voxel by comparing the measured Z-spectrum of each voxel to predetermined criteria; and reconstruct a CEST magnetic resonance image using the magnetic resonance image data and the motion likelihood map.

Motion detection in CEST magnetic resonance imaging based on Z-spectrum analysis

The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging system () for determining an approximation () of an electric conductivity distribution within a three-dimensional anatomical structure of interest. The determining comprises acquiring a first set of (3-n)-dimensional magnetic resonance data (), reconstructing a (3-n)-dimensional phase distribution () using the (3-n)-dimensional magnetic resonance data (), calculating a (3-n)-dimensional electric conductivity distribution () using spatial derivatives within the (3-n) dimensions and applying to the (3-n)-dimensional electric conductivity distribution () a scaling factor compensating for the relative reduction of dimensions by n.

(3-n) dimensional determination of electric conductivity

The invention provides for a medical imaging system (). The medical imaging system comprises a processor (). Execution of machine executable instructions () causes the processor to: receive () magnetic resonance imaging data () comprising a Z-spectrum acquisition () for a set of saturation frequency offsets () and at least one reference saturation frequency offset (); reconstruct () saturation frequency offset complex image data (); reconstruct () a B0 map (), a water image (), and a fat image () according to a Dixon-type magnetic resonance imaging protocol; calculate () a water phase angle () using the water image and/or the fat image; calculate () rotated complex image data () by rotating the phase of the saturation frequency offset complex image data such that the complex water signal is aligned with a real axis for each voxel; perform () a B0 correction by calculating shifted complex image data (); calculate () a frequency dependent phase angle () descriptive of a phase angle between the complex water signal and the complex fat signal for each of the set of saturation frequency offsets using a fat signal model comprising at least two fat species; calculate () a residual fat component correction factor () by projecting the complex fat signal onto the real axis for each of the set of saturation frequency offsets; and calculate () corrected water Z-spectrum image data () by subtracting the residual fat component correction factor for each of the set of saturation frequency offsets from the real component of the shifted complex image data.

Single-point dixon method for fat-water separation in chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging

The invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging data processing system () for processing motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging data sets using a deep learning network () trained for the processing of motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging data sets. The magnetic resonance imaging data processing system () comprises a memory () storing machine executable instructions () and the trained deep learning network (). Furthermore, the magnetic resonance imaging data processing system () comprises a processor () for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging data processing system. Execution of the machine executable instructions () causes the processor () to control the magnetic resonance imaging data processing system () to: receive a magnetic resonance imaging data set (), apply the received magnetic resonance imaging data set () as an input to the trained deep learning network (), process one or more motion artifacts present in the received magnetic resonance imaging data set () using the trained deep learning network ().

Deep learning based processing of motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging data

A medical analysis system () for processing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), data () from a target volume () in a subject () includes a memory () for storing machine executable instructions; and a processor () for controlling the system (). Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor () to: determine from the MRI data () chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) voxel values corresponding to a transfer of saturation between a predefined pool of protons and water protons, the pool of protons having a predefined chemical shift; and weight the CEST values in order to distinguish CEST values of fluid-rich tissues () from CEST values of solid tissues () in the target volume (), wherein the fluid-rich tissue comprises an amount of fluid higher than a predefined minimum amount of fluid.

Magnetization transfer based metric for chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI

The invention provides for a medical instrument () comprising: a memory () for storing machine executable instructions () and a processor () for controlling the medical instrument. Execution of the machine executable instructions cause the processor to: receive () three dimensional medical image data () descriptive of a subject (), wherein the three dimensional medical image data comprises voxels; receive () a segmentation of the three dimensional medical image data, wherein the segmentation divides the three dimensional image data into non-tumor voxels () and tumor voxels (); choose () a center point () of the tumor voxels; divide () the tumor voxels into multiple groups () using a set of orthogonal planes (), wherein the center point is within each of the orthogonal planes; calculate () at least one group radiomic feature () selected from a set of radiomic features for each of the multiple voxel groups; compute () a statistical measure () for each of the at least one group radiomic feature; calculate () a scalar value () by calculating the sum of each statistical measure multiplied by a predetermined group weighting value (), wherein the predetermined group weighting value is unique for each statistical measure; and provide () a signal using a signaling interface device () if the scalar value is above a predetermined threshold ().

Automated tumor partitioning

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () comprising a memory () for storing machine executable instructions () and pulse sequence commands (). The pulse sequence commands are configured for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system according to a DCE Magnetic Resonance Imaging protocol. The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprises a user interface () and a processor () for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: control () the magnetic resonance imaging system using the pulse sequence commands to acquire calibration magnetic resonance data () two or more times for varying flip angles; reconstruct () each acquisition of the calibration magnetic resonance data into a calibration image () to create a set of variable flip angle images (); calculate () a T1 mapping () using the set of variable flip angle images; calculate () a contrast agent calibration () for a predetermined magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent using at least partially the T1 mapping; calculate () an estimated calibration error () that is descriptive of an estimated error in the contrast agent calibration and/or the T1 mapping using a calibration accuracy model, wherein the calibration accuracy model is configured for calculating the estimated calibration error using the set of variable flip angle images; and display () a calibration warning message () on the user interface if the estimated calibration error is outside of a predetermined calibration error range.

Image quality control in dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

A method of employing a central computer database () for supporting a characterization of tissue by magnetic resonance fingerprinting measurements, includes: exciting nuclei of a subject of interest by applying () a radio frequency excitation field Bgenerated according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting sequence (), acquiring () magnetic resonance imaging signal data from radiation emitted by excited nuclei of the subject of interest, transferring () a magnetic resonance fingerprinting data set () to the central computer database (), retrieving () a predefined dictionary from the central computer database (), matching () the acquired magnetic resonance imaging signal data to the retrieved dictionary by applying a pattern recognition algorithm to determine a value () or a set of values () for at least one physical quantity (T, T), adding () at least the determined value () or the determined set of values () as a new entry of an associated medical data set () to the central computer database (), and making () the new entry of an associated medical data set () accessible to users of the central computer database (). A magnetic resonance fingerprinting data collection and analysis system () includes a central computer database, a data receiving unit (), a data output unit () and a data analysis device () configured to carry out the method.

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting data collection and analysis system

A dual- or multi-resonant RF/MR transmit and/or receive antenna () especially in the form of a planar antenna or a volume array antenna (also called antenna array) is used for MR image generation of at least two different nuclei like e.g.H,F,He,C,Na or other nuclei having different Larmor frequencies. The antenna is coupled by an inductive coupling device (LI) with related transmit/receive channels (T/R). By such an inductive coupling, the tuning and matching of the antenna at the different resonant frequencies is easier than in case of a galvanic connection. The dual- or multi-resonant RF/MR transmit and/or receive antenna is used in an MR imaging apparatus.

Multi-resonant T/R antenna for MR image generation

The invention provides for a method of operating a magnetic resonance system for acquiring magnetic resonance data () from a phantom () within a measurement (zone). The phantom comprises a known volume of at least one predetermined substance ((),). The method comprises the step of acquiring () the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance system with pulse sequence instructions (). The pulse sequence instructions cause the magnetic resonance system to acquire the magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting technique. The pulse sequence instructions specify a train of pulse sequence repetitions. Each pulse sequence repetition has a repetition time chosen from a distribution of repetition times. Each pulse sequence repetition comprises a radio frequency pulse chosen from a distribution of radio frequency pulses. The distribution of radio frequency pulses cause magnetic spins to rotate to a distribution of flip angles. Each pulse sequence repetition comprises a sampling event where the magnetic resonance signal is sampled for a predetermined duration at a sampling time before the end of the pulse sequence repetition. The method further comprises determining () one or more performance degradation conditions of the magnetic resonance system by comparing the magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary (). The magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary contains a listing of magnetic resonance signals for a set of system states in response to execution of the pulse sequence instructions for each of the at least one predetermined substance.

MR fingerprinting for determining performance degradation of the MR system

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () which comprise a magnet () and a magnetic field gradient generator () for generating a gradient magnetic field within an imaging zone (). The gradient magnetic field is aligned with a predetermined direction. The magnetic resonance imaging system further comprise a memory () for storing machine executable instructions (), a pre-calculated magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary (), and pulse sequence instructions (). The pulse sequence instructions cause the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire the magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting technique. The magnetic resonance fingerprinting technique encodes the magnetic resonance data as slices (). The pre-calculated magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary contains a listing of calculated magnetic resonance signals in response to execution of the pulse sequence instructions for a set of predetermined substances. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes a processor () controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to: acquire () the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with pulse sequence instructions; divide () the magnetic resonance data into a set of slices; calculate () the abundance of each of the set of predetermined substances within each of the set of slices by comparing the magnetic resonance data for each of the set of slices with the pre-calculated magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary; and calculate () a magnetic resonance fingerprint chart by plotting abundance of each of the set of predetermined substances within each of the set of slices as a function of position along the predetermined direction.

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Rosengarten, Germany

Jochen Keupp