Retrospectively correlated turbo spin echo imaging

• US 10,123,720 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Parker, Dennis L., Mendes, Jason K., Hulet, Jordan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cwern, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US14/199,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20150011867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5617 using RF refocusing, e.g. RARE
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56325 Cine imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5673 Gating or triggering based on a physiological signal other than an MR signal, e.g. ECG gating or motion monitoring using optical systems for monitoring the motion of a fiducial marker

Abstract

Systems and methods which generate a sequence of images using turbo spin echo magnetic resonance imaging which are retrospectively correlated with periodic motion occurring within a subject being imaged are described. In one embodiment, k-space measurements (or the measurements from which images are formed) are captured during, and correlated with, different phases in a cardiac cycle of the subject. With this sequence, the images that are produced are able to show, and/or compensate for, motion correlated with the cardiac cycle of the subject.

Claims

1. A method for processing images using a turbo spin echo (TSE) imaging device, the method comprising:

receiving motion data corresponding to periodic motion within a subject over a plurality of periodic motion cycles;

capturing raw magnetic resonance data over the plurality of periodic motion cycles using the TSE imaging device;

reconstructing the raw magnetic resonance data into a sequence of individual images correlated with the motion data using a spatially varying temporal constraint that constrains pixels in each individual image varying with frequencies unrelated to frequency of the periodic motion cycles more strongly than pixels in each individual image varying at frequencies near the frequency of the periodic motion cycles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of individual images are reconstructed utilizing parallel imaging techniques.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the raw magnetic resonance data is captured asynchronously with respect to the plurality of periodic motion cycles.

4. A computer program product comprising a computer memory having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed, cause a processor to:

receive an input signal comprising a multi-slice, single image per slice turbo spin echo (TSE) imaging signal;

receive monitoring data corresponding to a cardiac signal of a subject being imaged;

correlate the input signal with the monitoring data;

determine a heart rate based on the cardiac signal;

convert the input signal into a multislice, retrospectively cardiac cycle correlated image sequence per slice, wherein a spatially varying temporal constraint is used to constrain pixels in the image sequence varying with frequencies unrelated to the heart rate more strongly than pixels in the image sequence varying at frequencies near the heart rate.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the processor is further caused to:

sort a plurality of received images into respective temporal bins corresponding to a cardiac cycle associated with the subject.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the respective temporal bins comprise less than twelve total temporal bins.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the processor is further caused to:

average multiple values included in a first temporal bin of the respective temporal bins.

8. A system for processing images, the system comprising:

a TSE imaging device configured to capture raw magnetic resonance data representative of a subject; and

a processor configured to;

receive motion data corresponding to periodic motion within the subject over a plurality of periodic motion cycles,

receive a plurality of input raw magnetic resonance data captured by the TSE imaging device over the plurality of periodic motion cycles,

reconstruct the raw magnetic resonance data into a sequence of individual images correlated with the motion data using a spatially varying temporal constraint that constrains pixels in each individual image varying with frequencies unrelated to frequency of the periodic motion cycles more strongly than pixels in each individual image varying at frequencies near the frequency of the periodic motion cycles.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

reconstruct the sequence of individual images utilizing parallel imaging techniques.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the TSE imaging device is configured to capture the raw magnetic resonance data asynchronously with respect to the single periodic motion cycle.

11. The system of the claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

sort the individual images into a plurality of temporal bins, each temporal bin corresponding to a time division of the single periodic motion cycle.