Magnetic resonance method and apparatus for determining a characteristic of an organ
Inventors
Cowan, Brett • Schrauben, Eric • Young, Alistair • Greiser, Andreas
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11071469-B2
Publication Date
2021-07-27
Expiration Date
Abstract
In a magnetic resonance method and apparatus for determining a characteristic of an organ, a magnetic resonance sequence is executed in order to acquire temporally resolved magnetic resonance data pertaining to the organ. The magnetic resonance sequence includes at least one tagging module, which generates a sub-visual tag of the magnetic resonance data. The characteristic of the organ is determined in a processor using the sub-visual tag.
Core Innovation
The disclosed approach determines a characteristic of an organ by acquiring temporally resolved MR data using a Linearly Increasing Startup Angles—Steady-State Free Precession (LISA-SSFP) sequence and including acquisition of a tagging module. When an image of the organ is reconstructed from the MR data, the tagging module produces a sub-visual tag in the reconstructed image, and the sub-visual tag induces a signal difference that is lower than 15% of a maximum signal difference in the reconstructed image.
A computer reconstructs the image from the MR data to include the sub-visual tag and determines the characteristic of the organ using an electronic signal representing the sub-visual tag in the reconstructed image. Further embodiments determine the characteristic by reconstructing tagged images, extracting a modulation/tagging pattern, and quantifying spatial and/or temporal deformation, including minimization and elastic registration using the extracted modulation.
In further embodiments, the MR data acquisition sequence and tagging are combined so that the sub-visual tag is obtained while cine-SSFP anatomy contrast is maintained, and the organ characteristic is determined independently of the sub-visual tag. For heart embodiments, cardiac function parameters are determined as the characteristic, including heart volume, stroke volume, cardiac mass, and ejection fraction.
Claims Coverage
The provided document includes three independent claims that share a common inventive concept: sub-visual tagging within a LISA-SSFP temporally resolved MR acquisition, a constrained tag-induced signal difference, reconstruction with the sub-visual tag, and determination of an organ characteristic using an electronic signal representing the sub-visual tag. Across the independent claims, there are 3 primary inventive feature sets (method, apparatus, and non-transitory storage medium).
LISA-SSFP temporally resolved MR acquisition with sub-visual tag signal difference constraint
An MR data acquisition sequence is a Linearly Increasing Startup Angles—Steady-State Free Precession (LISA-SSFP) sequence that includes acquisition of a tagging module producing a sub-visual tag in the reconstructed image, wherein a signal difference in the reconstructed image due to the sub-visual tag is lower than 15% of a maximum signal difference in the reconstructed image.
Reconstruct tagged image and determine organ characteristic using sub-visual tag electronic signal
A computer reconstructs the reconstructed image from the MR data to include the sub-visual tag and determines the characteristic of the organ using an electronic signal representing the sub-visual tag in the reconstructed image, and makes an electronic signal representing the determined characteristic available from the computer.
MR apparatus and computer configuration to perform LISA-SSFP sub-visual tagging and characteristic determination
An MR apparatus includes an MR data acquisition scanner and a computer configured to operate the MR data acquisition scanner to execute a LISA-SSFP sequence including acquisition of a tagging module producing a sub-visual tag with signal difference lower than 15% of a maximum signal difference, and to reconstruct the reconstructed image including the sub-visual tag and determine a characteristic of the organ using the sub-visual tag, making an electronic signal representing the determined characteristic available from the computer.
Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding LISA-SSFP sub-visual tagging characteristic determination
A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions causes a computer system to operate an MR data acquisition scanner to execute a LISA-SSFP sequence including acquisition of a tagging module producing a sub-visual tag with signal difference lower than 15% of a maximum signal difference, reconstruct the reconstructed image including the sub-visual tag, determine a characteristic of the organ using the sub-visual tag, and make an electronic signal representing the determined characteristic available from the computer.
The independent claims consistently require temporally resolved MR data acquired with a LISA-SSFP sequence that includes a tagging module producing a sub-visual tag with induced signal difference constrained to be lower than 15% of a maximum, reconstruction of an image including the sub-visual tag, and determination of an organ characteristic using an electronic signal representing the sub-visual tag and providing the determined characteristic as an electronic signal from the computer. The method, apparatus, and storage-medium claims implement the same core functionality in different claim forms.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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