Hitachi, Ltd.

Fujifilm Healthcare Corporation

Hitachi Medical Corporation

Suguru Yokosawa

Yo Taniguchi

Hisaaki Ochi

Toru Shirai

Tomoki Amemiya

Yoshitaka Bito

Shinji Kurokawa

Hiroyuki Takeuchi

Hisako Nagao

Yoshitaka Sato

Yoshihisa Soutome

Yukio Kaneko

Yoshihisa Sotome

Kuniaki Harada

Ryota Sato

Kazuho Kamba

Masahiro Takizawa

Hiroyuki Itagaki

Ryota Satoh

Yoshimi Noguchi

Yasuo Kawata

Kenta Sakuragi

Binrong Wu

Atsuro Suzuki

Chikako Moriwake

Shoichi Miyawaki

Yasuhide Yoshida

Yoru Shirai

For a complex image to be complexly added, appropriate phase correction is executed by a simple method to prevent occurrence of an artifact in a signal region and to reduce noise in a background region. Two or more types of smoothing processing with different smoothing degrees are executed on a phase image of the complex image to obtain two or more types of smoothed phase images having different smoothing degrees. A weight for each of these smoothed phase images is calculated based on a signal value (SNR) of an intensity image, and addition is performed by a weight for each signal value to obtain a smoothed phase image for correction. After a phase of the complex image is corrected using the smoothed phase image, a phase-corrected complex image is complexly added. As a result, phase correction equivalent to phase correction in which a smoothing degree is weakened in the signal region and a smoothing degree is strengthened in the background region is realized.

Magnetic resonance imaging device, image processing device, and image processing method

The present invention is to perform appropriate noise reduction processing on an image having different signal levels or noise levels depending on an imaging condition or a reconstruction condition. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to the invention includes: a measurement unit that receives a nuclear magnetic resonance signal generated in a subject by a receiving coil; an image reconstruction unit that processes the nuclear magnetic resonance signal received by the receiving coil and reconstructs an image of the subject; an SNR spatial distribution calculation unit that calculates spatial distribution of a signal-to-noise ratio of the image using spatial distribution of a noise level and spatial distribution of the signal of the image; and a noise reduction unit that reduces noise from the image based on the spatial distribution of the signal-to-noise ratio.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, noise reduction method and image processing apparatus

Distortion generated in an image is effectively corrected in imaging using an EPI sequence such as DWI without extending an imaging time. After one excitation RF pulse of EPI is applied, a navigator scan in which the polarity of the phase encoding is opposite to that of the main scan is performed continuously to the main scan, and the distortion of the image by using the navigator scan data obtained by the navigator scan is corrected. In a case of multi-shot, phase information obtained from the navigator scan data for each shot is used to perform phase correction and multi-shot reconstruction on the main scan data of each shot.

Magnetic resonance imaging device and control method thereof

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

Provided is a technique for supporting a diagnosis in determining disease by using various types of measured values acquired by a medical image acquisition apparatus. An image diagnosis support device includes a measured-value receiving unit configured to receive various types of measured values at a plurality of positions within a living body, a group generator configured to generate groups of the measured values depending on the position or the type of the measured value, an intermediate index calculator configured to calculate an intermediate index from the measured values included in the group on a per-group basis, and a comprehensive index calculator configured to calculate a comprehensive index from values of the intermediate index calculated on a per-group basis. The intermediate index and the comprehensive index are displayed on a display unit in a display mode such as numerical values and in the form of an image.

Image diagnosis support device, image diagnosis support program, and medical image acquisition apparatus

An MRI device for executing an imaging operation at least three times or more with a different combination of at least a repetition time and a flip angle in the same imaging sequence, includes: a receiving unit which receives information specifying an imaging target and a constraint condition relating to an imaging time or quantitative value accuracy; and a scan parameter set generation unit which calculates at least three or more scan parameter sets having a different combination of at least the repetition time and the flip angle on the basis of the constraint condition. The MRI device uses three or more scan parameter sets generated by the optimal scan parameter set generation unit and calculates quantitative values (TTand the like) of the imaging target from a plurality of images obtained by the imaging operation.

Magnetic resonance imaging device, calculation device for generation of imaging parameter set, and imaging parameter set generation program

Two or more learning images generated for a first subject or a second subject and one or more correct answer images generated for the second subject or a third subject are received. In a case where pixel values of corresponding pixels of the two or more learning images are synthesized by using a synthesis parameter value, the parameter value at which the synthesized pixel values are close to a pixel value of a corresponding pixel of the correct answer image is obtained. An image generated for the first subject and having the same type as the two or more learning images is received as an examination target image. A synthesized image desired by a user is generated by synthesizing pixel values of corresponding pixels of the two or more examination target images by using the synthesis parameter value.

Medical image diagnosis support device and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

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

An MRI apparatus in which, when a quantitative value, which does not depend on imaging parameter values, is computed from a plurality of image data having different pixel values that are acquired by performing imaging the plurality of times with different imaging parameter values in the same pulse sequence, pixel values which are acquired from the imaging parameter values are predicted for each of a plurality of predetermined quantitative-value candidate group, and an initial value of the quantitative value is selected from the quantitative-value candidate groups with reference to the predicted pixel values. The optimal quantitative value is computed through a localized optimization technique using the selected initial value.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and quantitative-value computing program

A system is disclosed to simultaneously acquire a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) image and a plurality of images in which the structure of a tissue other than a blood vessel can be ascertained without performing imaging for the MRA image, and to shorten a time of MR examination. Two or more kinds of physical property dependent images obtained from a nuclear magnetic resonance signal measured in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence under a plurality of imaging conditions are combined using a predetermined combination function. At this time, a plurality of division regions are set in the physical property dependent image, and the combination parameter satisfying a condition that a difference between a pixel value of the specific tissue and a pixel value of a tissue other than the specific tissue increases is determined at each of the division regions in the actually measured two or more kinds of physical property dependent images, using standard data of the two or more kinds of physical property dependent images, and the combination parameter is used to combine the two or more kinds of images.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance image processing method

To provide an MRI apparatus that acquires a plurality of contrast images including an FLAIR image in the shortest imaging time. An imaging controller of the MRI apparatus includes, as a prescribed pulse sequence, an IR (inversion recovery) sequence that includes application of an inversion pulse and a signal acquisition sequence to collect a signal after an inversion time has elapsed from the application of the inversion pulse, and acquires images in a first slice group, and an imaging sequence that is inserted into an inversion pulse of the IR sequence at a single time and an inversion pulse of the IR sequence at the next time, and acquires images in a second slice group different from the first slice group that are images having different contrasts from that of the IR sequence.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and control method thereof

A technology of improving image quality of a calculation image or parameter estimation accuracy even in a case where a method of simultaneously generating calculation images of a plurality of parameters is used is provided. Thus, by utilization of a reconstructed image in an optimal resolution of each parameter to be estimated, a value of the parameter is estimated and a calculation image that is a distribution of the value of the parameter is acquired. A reconstructed image in an optimal resolution is acquired by adjustment of a resolution of a reconstructed image acquired in an optimal resolution of an estimation parameter with the highest optimal resolution among parameters to be estimated in scanning. Alternatively, in scanning, only a reconstructed image used for calculation of a predetermined parameter to be estimated is acquired in an optimal resolution of the parameter to be estimated.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

A medical image diagnosis supporting apparatus includes a quantitative value reception unit that receives data of kinds of quantitative values obtained in advance at points in a region of a subject; a variable conversion unit that calculates kinds of intermediate information values dependent on the kinds of quantitative values at each of the points using the kinds of quantitative values at each of the points and kinds of variable conversion functions; and a diagnosis image calculation unit that calculates a diagnosis image for the region. The diagnosis image calculation unit sets a pixel value at each of the points in accordance with a combination of kinds of intermediate information values obtained at each of the points by the variable conversion unit or a combination of intermediate information values and kinds of quantitative values at the point and generates the diagnosis image.

Medical image diagnostic assistance device and magnetic resonance imaging device

A plurality of subject parameter maps are acquired at high speed. In addition to using an imaging sequence for generating both a gradient echo and a spin echo in a single imaging sequence, one or more parameters such as the longitudinal relaxation time T1 and the apparent transverse relaxation time T2* are calculated using the gradient echo and another parameter such as true transverse relaxation time T2 is calculated using the spin echo. When a value of one parameter is calculated, a value of the parameter calculated at the time of calculating the other parameter can be used.

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Tokyo, Japan

Suguru Yokosawa