Magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus with simultaneous image acquisition of multiple sub-volumes with synchronous acquisition of navigators
First Claim
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1. A method for acquiring magnetic resonance data, comprising:
- operating a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, while an object is situated therein, to execute data acquisition scan of the object;
in said data acquisition scan, operating the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to excite a plurality of transverse magnetizations in at least one sub-volume of a navigator volume within said field of view and in at least one sub-volume of an image volume within said field of view, with said transverse magnetizations being excited as different transverse magnetizations that respectively differ from each other and being simultaneously present in at least one period of said data acquisition scan, and thereby acquiring navigator data and raw magnetic resonance data from said field of view of said object;
providing said navigator data and said raw magnetic resonance data to a processor and, in said processor, using said navigator data to identify a position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume; and
in said processor, generating an electronic signal designating said position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume and making said electronic signal available from said processor as an output.
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Abstract
In a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a method for generating magnetic resonance image data of a field of view of an examination object, magnetic resonance raw data are acquired by preferably different transverse magnetizations being excited in at least one sub-volume of a navigator volume and at least one sub-volume of an image volume, and are used for position determination and for imaging. These preferably different transverse magnetizations are simultaneously present in at least one period of the scan.
37 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for acquiring magnetic resonance data, comprising:
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operating a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, while an object is situated therein, to execute data acquisition scan of the object; in said data acquisition scan, operating the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to excite a plurality of transverse magnetizations in at least one sub-volume of a navigator volume within said field of view and in at least one sub-volume of an image volume within said field of view, with said transverse magnetizations being excited as different transverse magnetizations that respectively differ from each other and being simultaneously present in at least one period of said data acquisition scan, and thereby acquiring navigator data and raw magnetic resonance data from said field of view of said object; providing said navigator data and said raw magnetic resonance data to a processor and, in said processor, using said navigator data to identify a position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume; and in said processor, generating an electronic signal designating said position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume and making said electronic signal available from said processor as an output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A control sequence-determining computer for a magnetic resonance apparatus comprising a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, said computer comprising:
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a processor configured to generate a pulse sequence comprising an excitation process and a subsequent readout process, to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner in a data acquisition scan; said processor being configured to generate said excitation process to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner by activating a slice selection gradient in a slice selection direction, that selects said navigator volume and said image volume, and by radiating a plurality of radio-frequency excitation pulses that produce said plurality of transverse magnetizations that exist simultaneously in said at least one sub-volume of said navigator volume and in said at least one sub-volume of said image volume and that cause a magnetization of said at least one sub-volume of said navigator volume and said at least one sub-volume of said image volume to differ, influenced by a further imaging parameter that does not relate to either an excitation frequency or an excitation phase; said processor being configured to generate said subsequent readout process to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner by activating at least one readout gradient for the at least one sub-volume of said navigator volume and the at least one sub-volume of said image volume in which said transverse magnetizations exist simultaneously, and receiving radio-frequency signals representing said navigator data and said raw magnetic resonance data respectively from said at least one sub-volume of said navigator volume and said at least one sub-volume of said image volume; an output interface that places said processor in communication with said scanner; and said processor being configured to generate an electronic signal representing said pulse sequence and to provide said pulse sequence to said scanner via said interface.
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19. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
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a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner; a control computer configured to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, while an object is situated therein, to execute data acquisition scan of the object; said control computer being configured to operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner in said data acquisition scan to excite a plurality of transverse magnetizations in at least one sub-volume of a navigator volume within said field of view and in at least one sub-volume of an image volume within said field of view, with said transverse magnetizations being simultaneously present in at least one period of said data acquisition scan, and thereby acquiring navigator data and raw magnetic resonance data from said field of view of said object; said control computer being configured to use said navigator data to identify a position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume; and said control computer being configured to generate an electronic signal designating said position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume and making said electronic signal available from said control computer as an output, and wherein said control computer is configured to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner in the execution of said data acquisition scan to excite said transverse magnetizations as different transverse magnetizations that respectively differ from each other. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a computer system of a magnetic resonance apparatus that also comprises a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, said programming instructions causing said computer system to:
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operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, while an object is situated therein, to execute data acquisition scan of the object; in said data acquisition scan, operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to excite a plurality of transverse magnetizations in at least one sub-volume of a navigator volume within said field of view and in at least one sub-volume of an image volume within said field of view, with said transverse magnetizations being simultaneously present in at least one period of said data acquisition scan, and thereby acquiring navigator data and raw magnetic resonance data from said field of view of said object; use said navigator data to identify a position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume; and generate an electronic signal designating said position of said at least one sub-volume of said image volume and making said electronic signal available as an output, and wherein said programing instructions cause said computer system to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner in the execution of said data acquisition scan to excite said transverse magnetizations as different transverse magnetizations that respectively differ from each other. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification