Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Peter Koken

Thomas Erik Amthor

Mariya Ivanova Doneva

Peter Boernert

Sascha Krueger

Karsten Sommer

Julien Senegas

Kay Nehrke

Jochen Keupp

Jan Jakob Meineke

Thomas Koehler

Steffen Weiss

Daniel Wirtz

Falk Uhlemann

Ronaldus Frederik Johannes Holthuizen

Ulrich Wolfgang Katscher

Claas Bontus

Michael Grass

Christoph G Leussler

Tim Nielsen

Christian Findeklee

Martin Bergtholdt

George Randall Duensing

Ingmar Graesslin

Andy Ziegler

Peter Bornert

Tobias Richard Schaeffter

Mariya Ivanova Donevea

Peter Vernickel

Thomas KÖHLER

Disclosed herein is a medical system () comprising a memory () storing machine executable instructions () and an MRF scoring module (). The MRF scoring module is configured for outputting an MRF quality score () in response to receiving MRF data () as input. The medical system further comprises a computational system () configured for controlling the medical system, wherein execution of the machine executable instructions causes the computational system to: receive () the MRF data; receive () the MRF quality score in response to inputting the MRF data into an MRF scoring module; append () the MRF quality score to the MRF data if the MRF quality score is within a predetermined range (); and provide () a signal () if the MRF quality score is outside of the predetermined range.

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting quality assurance

A device is provided for detecting critical stations in a multi-station scan. The device includes an input unit, a processing unit, and an output unit. The input unit is configured to receive image data taken from a patient lying on a table before start of a diagnostic scan with a magnetic resonance imaging system. The processing unit is configured to analyze the image data of the patient to identify a spatial location of the lungs of the patient to align the spatial location of the lungs of the patient with a planned multi-station scan to identify the critical stations that are potentially affected by a respiratory motion of the patient, and to assign breath-hold to the identified critical stations. The output unit is configured to provide the identified critical stations. Thus, the selection of critical stations can be automatically and consistently satisfied without operator intervention.

Automated detection of critical stations in multi-station magnetic resonance imaging

A computer-implemented method for preparing a subject in medical imaging, comprising: obtaining a series of images of a region of interest comprising at least a part of the subject, wherein the series of images comprises at least a first image and at least a subsequent, second image (S); determining a position of at least one landmark from the series of images, wherein the at least one landmark is anatomically related to a target anatomy (S); determining a confidence level assigned to the position of the at least one landmark (S); determining the position of the target anatomy based on the position of the at least one landmark, and the confidence level (S); providing the position of the target anatomy for preparing the subject in medical imaging (S).

Patient preparation for medical imaging

The invention provides for a medical instrument () that comprises a medical imaging system (′), a subject support (), and a camera system () configured for imaging the subject support in an initial position. The execution the machine executable instructions causes a processor () to: place () the subject support in the initial position (); control () the camera system to acquire a series of repeated images (); detect () the placement of one or more background objects (); detect () one or more foreground objects (); construct () a background object surface image () at least partially by stitching together the series of repeated images to replace image regions containing background objects obscured by the one or more foreground objects; determine () a three-dimensional object surface () using the background object surface image; detect () the subject in one of the series of repeated images (); calculate () a subject segmentation () of the subject in the one of the series of repeated images; determine () a visible subject surface () using the subject segmentation and the one of the series of repeated images; and calculate () a three-dimensional subject model () by estimating a volume () defined by the three-dimensional object surface and the visible subject surface.

Automated subject monitoring for medical imaging

Disclosed is a medical system () comprising: a memory () storing machine executable instructions (); a processor () configured for controlling the medical system; and a pilot tone system (). The pilot tone system comprises a radio frequency system () comprising multiple transmit channels () and multiple receive channels (). The multiple transmit channels are configured for each transmitting unique pilot tone () signals via multiple transmit coils. The multiple receive channels are configured for receiving multi-channel pilot tone data () via multiple receive coils. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor to: transmit () multi-channel pilot tone signals by controlling at least a portion of the multiple transmit channels to transmit the unique pilot tone signals; acquire () multi-channel pilot tone data () by controlling at least a portion of the multiple receive channels to receive the multi-channel pilot tone data; and determine () a motion state () of the subject using the multi-channel pilot tone data.

Multi-channel pilot tone motion detection

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () for acquiring magnetic resonance data () from a subject () within a measurement zone (). The magnetic resonance imaging system () comprises: a processor () for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system () and a memory () storing machine executable instructions (), pulse sequence commands () and a dictionary (). The pulse sequence commands () are configured for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system () to acquire the magnetic resonance data () of multiple steady state free precession (SSFP) states per repetition time. The pulse sequence commands () are further configured for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system () to acquire the magnetic resonance data () of the multiple steady state free precession (SSFP) states according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting protocol. The dictionary () comprises a plurality of tissue parameter sets. Each tissue parameter set is assigned with signal evolution data pre-calculated for multiple SSFP states.

Multi-state magnetic resonance fingerprinting

The invention provides for a medical apparatus () comprising a subject support () configured for moving a subject () from a first position () to a second position () along a linear path (). The subject support comprises a support surface () for receiving the subject. The subject support is further configured for positioning the subject support in at least one intermediate position (). The subject support is configured for measuring a displacement () along the linear path between the first position and the at least one intermediate position. Each of the at least one intermediate position is located between the first position and the second position. The medical apparatus further comprises a camera () configured for imaging the support surface in the first position. Execution of machine executable instructionscause the a processor () controlling the medical apparatus to: acquire () an initial image () with the camera when the subject support is in the first position; control () the subject support to move the subject support from the first position to the second position; acquire () at least one intermediate image () with the camera and the displacement for each of the at least one intermediate image as the subject support is moved from the first position to the second position; and calculate () a height profile () of the subject by comparing the initial image and the at least one intermediate image. The height profile is at least partially calculated using the displacement. The height profile is descriptive of the spatially dependent height of the subject above the support surface.

Determination of a subject profile with a camera

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system () includes a memory () for storing machine executable instructions () and magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) pulse sequence commands () which cause the MRI system to acquire MRF magnetic resonance data () according to an MRF protocol. The pulse sequence commands are configured for acquiring the MRF magnetic resonance data in two-dimensional slices (), having a slice selection direction. A train of pulse sequence repetitions includes a sampling event where the MRF data is repeatedly sampled. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes a processor to control the MRI system to: acquire () the MRF magnetic resonance data; construct () a series () of at least one magnetic resonance parameter value for each voxel of the two dimensional slices; and calculate () a composition () of each of a set of predetermined substances within two or more sub-voxels () for each voxel of the two dimensional slices using a sub-voxel magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary () for each of the two or more sub-voxels and the series of the at least one magnetic resonance parameter value. Each voxel in the slice selection direction is divided into two or more sub-voxels.

Sub voxel resolution magnetic resonance fingerprinting imaging

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a memory for storing machine executable instructions and MRF pulse sequence commands. The MRF pulse sequence commands are configured for controlling the MRI system to acquire MRF magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting protocol. The memory further includes a Fourier transformed magnetic resonance finger printing dictionary. The finger printing dictionary includes entries for at least one intrinsic property.

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting in fourier space

A processor controls an MRI system with pulse sequence commands to acquire magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting protocol during multiple pulse repetitions. The pulse sequence commands control the magnetic resonance imaging system to cause gradient induced spin rephasing at least twice during each of the multiple pulse repetitions, and to acquire at least two magnetic resonance signals during each of the multiple pulse repetitions. Each of the at least two magnetic resonance signals is measured during a separate one of the gradient induced spin rephasing. The magnetic resonance data includes the at least two magnetic resonance signals acquired during each of the multiple pulse repetitions. The processor further at least partially calculates a B0-off-resonance map using the magnetic resonance data, and generates at least one magnetic resonance parametric map by comparing the magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary.

Direct measurement of the B0-off-resonance field during magnetic resonance fingerprinting

The invention provides for a magnetic resonance imaging system () for acquiring magnetic resonance data () from a subject () within an imaging zone (). The magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a memory () for storing machine executable instructions (), and pulse sequence commands (), wherein the pulse sequence commands are configured to cause the magnetic imaging resonance system to acquire the magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting technique. The pulse sequence commands are further configured to control the magnetic resonance imaging system to perform spatial encoding using a zero echo time magnetic resonance imaging protocol. Execution of the machine executable instructions causes the processor controlling the MRI system to: acquire () the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with the pulse sequence commands; and calculate () a spatial distribution () of each of a set of predetermined substances by comparing the magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary ().

Silent 3D magnetic resonance fingerprinting

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 magnetic resonance imaging system () acquires magnetic resonance data () from a subject () within a measurement zone (). Pulse sequence commands () control the magnetic resonance imaging system to acquire the magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting protocol. The pulse sequence commands are configured for controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system to repeatedly generate an RF pulse train () and acquire the magnetic resonance data as multiple k-space traces. The machine executable instructions causes the processor to: sequentially acquire () the multiple k-space traces of magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance imaging system with pulse sequence commands and calculate () the abundance of each of a set of predetermined substances for k-space traces that are acquired after a predetermined number of k-space traces of the multiple k-space traces has been acquired and the acquired magnetization has reached a steady state. The abundance of each of a set of predetermined substances is determined by comparing the magnetic resonance data with a steady state magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary () which contains a listing of calculated magnetic resonance signals in response to the RF pulse train for a set of predetermined substances.

Steady state magnetic resonance fingerprinting

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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Hamburg, Germany

Peter Koken