Merging magnetic resonance (MR) magnitude and phase images
First Claim
1. A system for displaying a composite magnetic resonance (MR) image of a patient wherein a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information, said system comprising:
- a memory configured to store a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image having pixel values based on complex-valued MR image data corresponding to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals received in response to a radio frequency (RF) and magnetic gradient pulse sequence applied to the patient during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; and
at least one digital data processor system configured to access said memory and;
change pixel values of the magnitude MR image to represent a first display color;
change pixel values of the phase MR image to represent a second display color, different than said first display color; and
generate and display a composite display image of the magnitude and phase MR images by generating and displaying composite display image pixel values representing a combination of said first and second display colors wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information present in the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, process, display processing system and/or computer readable medium with stored program code structure thereon is configured to provide for obtaining a composite image which simultaneously includes information from a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image. The composite image is generated by assigning a first color display channel to the magnitude MR image and a second color display channel to the phase MR image, and generating the composite image by assigning to respective pixels in the composite image color values based upon a combination of corresponding pixels in the assigned first and second color display channels.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system for displaying a composite magnetic resonance (MR) image of a patient wherein a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information, said system comprising:
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a memory configured to store a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image having pixel values based on complex-valued MR image data corresponding to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals received in response to a radio frequency (RF) and magnetic gradient pulse sequence applied to the patient during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; and at least one digital data processor system configured to access said memory and; change pixel values of the magnitude MR image to represent a first display color; change pixel values of the phase MR image to represent a second display color, different than said first display color; and generate and display a composite display image of the magnitude and phase MR images by generating and displaying composite display image pixel values representing a combination of said first and second display colors wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information present in the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A machine-implemented process for displaying a composite magnetic resonance (MR) image of a patient wherein a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information, said machine-implemented process comprising:
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accessing, using at least one digital data processor, a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image, wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image have pixel values based on complex-valued MR image data corresponding to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals received in response to a radio frequency (RF) and magnetic gradient pulse sequence applied to the patient during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; changing pixel values of the magnitude MR image, using at least one digital data processor, to first display color values and changing pixel values of the phase MR image, using at least one digital data processor, to second display color values, different than said first display color; and generating and displaying, using at least one digital data processor, a composite display image of the magnitude and phase MR images by generating and displaying composite display image pixel values representing a combination of said first and second display colors wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information present in the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon machine-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one digital data processor, causes display of a composite magnetic resonance (MR) image of a patient wherein a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information by performing machine-implemented processes comprising:
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accessing a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image, wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image have pixel values based on complex-valued MR image data corresponding to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals received in response to a radio frequency (RF) and magnetic gradient pulse sequence applied to the patient during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; changing pixel values of the magnitude MR image to represent a first display color and changing pixel values of the phase MR image to represent a second display color that is different than said first display color; and generating and displaying a composite display image of the magnitude and phase MR images by generating and displaying composite display image pixel values representing a combination of said first and second display colors wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information present in the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image.
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16. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, said MRI system comprising:
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an MRI gantry including a static magnetic field generator, gradient magnetic field generators, and at least one radio frequency (RF) coil configured to couple with an object located in an imaging volume; an MRI sequence controller coupled to MRI gantry components and configured to effect an RF and magnetic gradient pulse sequence comprising an MR imaging pulse train to the imaging volume; and at least one digital data processor system configured to; receive digital data corresponding to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals responsive to the MR imaging pulse train; form a magnitude MR image and a phase MR image based upon the received digital data; change pixel values of the magnitude MR image to represent a first display color; change pixel values of the phase MR image to represent a second display color that is different than said first display color; and generate and display a composite display image of the magnitude-and phase MR images by generating and displaying composite display image pixel values representing a combination of said first and second display colors wherein the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image are combined into a composite colored display image that simultaneously visualizes both magnitude and phase information without loss of magnitude or phase image information present in the magnitude MR image and the phase MR image.
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Specification