Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Takao Kasugai

Shinya Ozawa

Kazuya Tanoue

Yoshio Machida

Kensuke Shinoda

Isao Tatebayashi

Takahiro Ohmure

Tadahiro Takeda

In one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus configured to sequentially execute plural imaging sequences includes: processing circuitry configured to calculate a predicted value of Long MR Examination specific absorbed energy which is an accumulated SAR (Specific Absorption Ratio) value over the plural imaging sequences; and a display configured to display information on the predicted value with respect to a predetermined safety reference value of the Long MR Examination specific absorbed energy.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

In one embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an input unit and a direction setting unit. The input unit receives a setting operation to set a plurality of image taking regions within a position determining image, from an operator of the apparatus. The direction setting unit sets phase encoding directions for the plurality of image taking regions to be in the same direction as one another, regardless of setting operations performed by the operator via the input unit.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method

According to the present invention, in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that receives magnetic resonance signals emitted from a patient by using a reception coil and reconstructs an image of the test subject from the received magnetic resonance signals, first and second cameras image positions of the patient and the reception coil and an audio recorder records the same to be stored in a PACS server when setting the reception coil. Further, when setting the reception coil for a subsequent time, information of the positions of the test subject and the reception coil is read from the PACS server and confirmed by using a monitor and a speaker.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and position setting support method thereof

Some of plural coil elements or the sections which have received magnetic resonance image signals associated with first image data are determined to be target coil elements or target coil sections. Second image data is generated by combining a plurality of pieces of first image data respectively associated with the target elements or sections. A display unit displays an image represented by the second image data. The target elements or sections are then changed based on specification after display of the second image data and third image data is generated by combining the plurality of pieces of first image data associated with the changed target elements sections.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and image data generating method

A method of producing slicing planes in a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging system capable of obtaining a thin slice thickness easily. RF pulses for sequentially exciting a plurality of excitation planes for determining slicing planes are generated, wherein frequencies of the RF pulses are sequentially controlled such that each two adjacent ones of excitation planes have a mutually overlapping region and two separate non-overlapping regions. Then the generated RF pulses are applied to an object to be examined which has been placed in appropriate static and gradient magnetic fields for obtaining nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the slicing planes defined by the excitation planes in accordance with the mutually overlapping region and the separate non-overlapping regions of each two adjacent ones of the excitation planes. Each RF pulse for exciting one excitation plane may be immediately preceded by a re-excitation RF pulse for re-exciting an immediately preceding excitation plane which serves as a pre-saturation pulse.

Method and apparatus for producing slicing planes for nuclear magnetic

A repeat interval, the number of encoding and the number of excitations are set in a processor by inputting from a keyboard before the start of image acquisition. The image acquisition duration is calculated using these set parameters, and the value corresponding to the image acquisition duration is set in a timer. The timer performs down-counting during image acquisition. A remaining image acquisition duration generated from the timer is displayed on a display and/or is output as voice signals from a voice output unit. Informing the patient of the time remaining until completion of image acquisition reduces the patient's anxiety and thus reduces motion artifacts.

Method and system for setting and displaying magnetic resonance image

In an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) apparatus, MR (magnetic resonance) images of a subject for animation-display are acquired in accordance with a predetermined timing. The timing is obtained by measuring a signal representing a biological phenomenon, for example, an electrocardiogram signal. The acquired MR images are corrected. An ROI (region of interest) for the MR images is set and standard MR image is designated among the acquired MR images. An average image value of the MR images in the ROI is calculated based on a difference in average image value between the designated standard MR image and other MR images in the ROI. The other MR images are corrected in accordance with the difference of the average image value.

Method and system for correcting magnetic resonance images for animation

A magnetic resonance imaging system visualizes a tomographic image including a portion of interest by two-dimensional Fourier transformation of magnetic resonance data in readout and phase encoding directions. The system has an input section for inputting the central position of the portion of interest, and an image processing section for shifting data obtained by the Fourier transformation, so that the central position of the portion of interest is located at substantially the center of an image area, and transferring data at an end portion which falls outside the image area upon shifting into an opposite image area.

Magnetic resonance imaging system

A magnetic resonance imaging system has an excitation section, a signal collecting section, a first image processor, a maximum value detector, a threshold setting section, and a second image processor. The excitation section applies predetermined magnetic fields to a patient to excite a magnetic resonance phenomenon therein. The signal collecting section collects magnetic resonance signals produced by the magnetic resonance phenomenon. The first image processor obtains original image pixel data representing the distribution of magnetic resonance data, from the magnetic resonance signals. The maximum value detector detects the maximum amplitude value in original image pixel data. The threshold setting section sets a threshold value in accordance with the maximum amplitude value. The second image processor performs predetermined arithmetic processing using original image pixel data having an amplitude exceeding the threshold value, to thereby obtain processed image data from the original image pixel data.

Method and system for magnetic resonance imaging

A Fourier transformation imaging technique is used for NMR imaging. Spins in a selected plane are excited by selective RF pulses and an associated G.sub.z gradient and the selected spins are subjected to three mutually orthogonal gradients which provide the resonance signal with spatial resolution along each axis produced by phase encoding. The signals sampled and read out in the presence of a readout gradient are associated with spatial frequencies determined by the applied gradient fields. The Fourier transformation of the spin-echo signals obtained from repetition of the pulse sequences gives a two-dimensional image. The linear phase-encoding gradient is applied starting with a preliminary phase-encoding gradient which maximizes the spin-echo signals.

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Otawara, Japan

Takao Kasugai