Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Medical Corporation

Kenji Takiguchi

Etsuji Yamamoto

Hidemi Shiono

Hiroyuki Itagaki

Tetsuhiko Takahashi

Yo Taniguchi

Shigeru Watanabe

Hideki Kohno

Norihide Saho

Yukiji Iwase

Ryuzaburo Takeda

Kenichi Okajima

Hiroshi Inouye

Ryuichi Suzuki

Masayuki Otsuka

Katsunori Suzuki

Shinya Okabe

Shin'ichi Shimode

Shoji Kondo

An inspection apparatus using nuclear magnetic resonance having arithmetic and control means for controlling a pulse sequence for detecting a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from a target to be inspected and calculating the detected signal. The arithmetic and control means controls an echo planar pulse sequence for acquiring a plurality of images of a predetermined same region of the target to be inspected; and arranges echo signal data obtained by measuring the inspection target by the echo planar pulse sequence and forms an EPI data set; designates a plurality of data points in k-space as observed points; designates a predetermined EPI data set to reference data for body motion for correcting influence by the body motion of the inspection target and calculates a reference phase as a phase of the body motion reference data at the observed points; calculates the phase of the EPI data set at the observed points; calculates a body motion correcting value expressing the influence by the body motion of the inspection target by using the phase difference between the phase of the EPI data set and the reference phase; and executes a process for eliminating the influence by the body motion of the inspection target by removing the phase difference of the EPI data set of the target to be inspected by using the body motion correction values.

Inspection apparatus using nuclear magnetic resonance

A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and an imaging method. A slice gradient magnetic field and a first radio frequency (RF) pulse magnetic field or the first and second RF pulse magnetic fields are applied to an object so as to selectively excite nuclear spins of the object and to generate echo signals by the application of the magnetic fields. The echo signals are measured by applying to the object a read gradient magnetic field whose polarity inverses continuously at least a plurality of times. A plurality of first RF pulse magnetic fields are generated in one pulse sequence. These RF pulse magnetic fields excite the nuclear spins of a plurality of different slices, and a plurality of different slices are selected. Sets of a plurality of echo signals from different slices are defected whenever the read gradient magnetic field is applied.

Apparatus and method for simultaneous detection of multiple magnetic

A bolus of magnetized blood is formed by at least two radio frequency magnetic fields, and readout gradient magnetic fields are repeatedly applied at a proportion of 1:-2:1 along a blood vessel so as to continuously obtain a first echo signal whose phase change due to velocity is corrected, from the moving bolus. This first echo signal provides velocity information on the blood stream. The sequence of the readout gradient magnetic fields is repeatedly applied at a proportion of (.sqroot.2-1):-2:2:-(.sqroot.2-1) so as to continuously obtain a second echo signal whose phase change due to velocity and acceleration is corrected, from the moving bolus. Acceleration information of the blood stream is extracted by calculating the difference between the first echo signal and the second echo signal. The velocity information and/or the acceleration information is displayed in superposition with a specific blood vessel of an angiogram shot in advance.

Fluid measurement method using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and

In magnetic resonance imaging, a first echo train is obtained by applying a readout gradient magnetic field to a region of interest to be imaged and periodically inverting the polarity of the readout gradient magnetic field, without applying an encoding gradient magnetic field to the region of interest. A periodic change of phase shift of the first echo train is detected from the first echo train. Information indicating phase shifts of all of the echoes in the first echo train is obtained using the periodic change of phase shift. A second echo train is obtained by applying a readout gradient magnetic field and an encoding magnetic field to the region of interest and periodically inverting the polarity of the readout gradient magnetic field. Phases of echoes in the second echo train are corrected using the information indicating phase shifts of all of the echoes in the first echo train.

Method for reducing artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging

A magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus employing a pulse sequence including a periodically switched readout gradient and a phase encoding gradient to derive a series of echo signals. Prior to execution of the pulse sequence for acquiring data for imaging, a pulse sequence in which the phase encoding gradient is cancelled is executed to obtain information of deviation in position of echo peaks. Thereafter, a pulse sequence including the phase encoding gradient is executed and at this time, sampling start timings for echo data sampling in respective phase periods of the readout gradient are controlled according to the information of the echo peak deviation. Further, a phase difference between data of odd number echo signals and data of even number echo signals is compensated by rotating either of the data of the odd number echo signals or the even number echo signals by a suitable rotating angle to minimize artifacts.

Ultra high-speed magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus

A bobbin for holding a gradient magnetic field coil, having a changeable size and sectional shape (a separable bobbin) is constituted by assembling coil supporters (a bobbin divided into a plurality of segments). The separable bobbin has coil supporters of an upper part a bottom part and a set of side surface parts and at least two supporting rods made of a nonmagnetic substance are fitted to the side surface parts of the coil supporters. Holes permitting the insertion of the supporting rods are bored in the upper and bottom parts of the coil supporters. The length d1 between both side surface parts can be made variable by adjusting the insertion length of the supporting rod into the upper and bottom parts. Accordingly, the distance between a patient and a gradient magnetic field can be reduced, and an intended gradient magnetic field intensity can be generated by a smaller current producing the gradient magnetic field than in the prior art. Setting of the patient to an MRI imaging apparatus becomes also easier, and there can be obtained a gradient magnetic field coil capable of being easily fitted and removed to and from the MRI imaging apparatus.

Nuclear magentic resonance imaging apparatus

An active noise cancellation apparatus of an MRI apparatus, including a detector for detecting vibration of a bobbin or a driving signal of a magnetism generator as a noise source signal, error signal detectors for detecting actual noise near the ears of a patient, a circuit for generating a noise cancellation signal having an opposite phase to a phase of a noise signal generated by an MRI apparatus and having an amplitude proportional to the output of the error signal detectors, from the detected noise source signal and the output of the error signal detectors, and a sound generator for generating a sound wave by the noise cancellation signal.

Active noise cancellation apparatus in MRI apparatus

In a magnetic resonance imagining method, using an effect that a fluid flows out of a plane where it is selectively excited between the time of applying a 90.degree. radio frequency pulse and the time of applying of a 180.degree. radio frequency pulse, two, images are separately constructed from multiple echo signals which are sampled before applying the 180.degree. radio frequency pulse and multiple echo signals which are sampled after applying the 180.degree. radio frequency pulse. An image of the fluid flow and an image of a static part are separated from each other based on a difference between the two constructed images.

Method of magnetic resonance imaging

This invention relates to a ultra-high speed nuclear magnetic resonance fluid imaging method for selectively reconstructing projected images of a fluid from an echo train generated by the use of a readout gradient magnetic field which inverses periodically. A pulse-like encoding gradient magnetic field is used in combination with a readout gradient magnetic field which inverses periodically, so as to generate an echo train containing alternately echoes whose phase change of magnetization due to a flow is emphasized and echoes whose phase change of magnetization due to the flow is corrected, and subjected sequentially to phase encoding. A data train containing only the echoes whose phase change of magnetization due to the flow is emphasized and a data train containing only the echoes whose phase change of magnetization due to the flow is corrected are formed from sampling data of these echoes, respectively, and two images are then obtained by subjecting them individually to two-dimensional Fourier transform. Both of these images are then subtracted.

Flow imaging method using an MRI apparatus

An MRI flow imaging method and apparatus wherein a width of a relevant region in a direction is set, in which fluid in a subject body flows, and a first 90.degree. radio frequency pulse is applied thereto to excite selectively a relevant region; a gradient magnetic field is applied thereto in a direction, in which it is desired to project the fluid, after an application of a first 90.degree. radio frequency pulse so that a magnetization signal in a projection direction is zero, a second radio frequency pulse is applied to a relevant region to excite the relevant region selectively, after new fluid has poured in the relevant region, an echo signal is measured by applying an encoding gradient magnetic field and a reading out gradient magnetic field in a form of a flow sensitive pulse capable of detecting an echo signal from the fluid, and an echo signal is processed to obtain a two-dimensional image of the fluid.

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Kodaira, Japan

Kenji Takiguchi