The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

New York University

Vinay Manjunath Pai

Han Wen

Leon Axel

An apparatus and method are disclosed for improving imaging based on a time-series of images. In one embodiment, a time-series of images are acquired using a same imaging protocol of the same subject area, but the images are spaced in time by one or more time intervals (e.g, 1, 2, 3 . . . seconds apart). A sub-region is projected across all of the images to perform a localized analysis (corresponding X-Y pixels or X-Y-Z voxels are analyzed across all images) that identifies temporal components within each sub-region. In some of the sub-regions, the temporal components are removed when the amplitude of the component is below a predetermined amplitude threshold. The images are then combined using the sub-regions with reduced components in order to obtain a single image with reduced noise.

Signal to-noise enhancement in imaging applications using a time-series of images

Exemplary method, systems and arrangements can be provided for creating a high-resolution magnetic resonance image ('MRI') or obtaining other information of a target. For example, radio-frequency ('RF') pulses can be transmitted toward the target by a RF transmitter of a MRI apparatus. In response, multiple echoes corresponding to each pulse may be received from the target. Data from each of the echoes can be assigned to a single line of k-space of a distinct image, and stored in memory of the apparatus. An image of the target, velocity data and/or acceleration data associated with a target can be generated as a function of the data. In one exemplary embodiment, the data from different echoes can be assigned to the same k-space line and to different cardiac phases. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be utilized for the heart or for any other anatomical organ or region of interest.

Multi-echo magnetic resonance imaging method and system

Navigator methods are disclosed that are based on detecting a flow-sensitive signal within a subject, and using the position of the signal to track subject motion between imaging sequences. In a disclosed embodiment, the fast-moving blood volume in the left ventricle of the heart is detected and used as a reference point to correct for cardiac motion that results from respiratory motion in a subject. The navigator based on the position of the fast-moving blood volume in the left ventricle may be applied prospectively to shift a subsequent imaging slice to compensate for subject motion, and thereby provide MRI images with increased clarity and resolution.

MRI navigator methods and systems

A method, system, and software arrangement for automatically prescribing long-axis magnetic resonance imaging ('MRI') slices of a target are provided. An MRI image is captured along a short-axis slice of the target. Vectorial components, including slice selection, phase-encoding, and frequency encoding vectors, are extracted from the short-axis slice. Vectorial components are established for a long-axis slice using the vectorial components of the short-axis slice, by transposing the slice-selection and frequency-encoding vectors. A plurality of long-axis slice planes are defined in a manner positioned relative to the long axis slice, rotating about a long axis in a direction of a long-axis frequency encoding vector. In one exemplary embodiment, frequency and phase shifts are established for each of the long-axis slices, for use in RF transmitting and receiving.

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New York, NY, United States of America

Vinay Manjunath Pai