Ultrasound within mri scanners for guidance of mri pulse sequences

• US 20040267111A1
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Feinberg
• Original Assignee: David A. Feinberg
• Inventors: Feinberg, David A
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• 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: A61B 5/7289 Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7292 Prospective gating, i.e. predicting the occurrence of a physiological event for use as a synchronisation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4477 using several separate ultrasound transducers or probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal

Abstract

A process and system acquiring both ultrasound and MRI data from a patient in an MRI scanner and using one to automatically guide or improve the other. The ultrasound data can track the motion of an organ such as a cardiac artery or the diaphragm and the resulting motion information can automatically guide MRI data acquisition to keep the imaging volume at the organ or interest, or can be used to accept or reject MRI data in the process of forming an MRI image, based on whether the organ of interest was within an acceptable range of positions. Conversely, the MRI unit can guide the ultrasound data acquisition so it is properly timed or otherwise controlled in accordance with MRI data acquisition.

Claims

1. A process of acquiring ultrasound and MRI data of a patient in an MRI scanner and using one of the ultrasound and MRI data to guide or improve the other, comprising:

acquiring ultrasound data indicative of a changing position of a body organ relative to an MRI scanner;

acquiring MRI data from the body organ substantially concurrently with the acquisition of the ultrasound data; and

using one of the ultrasound data and the MRI data to automatically guide the acquisition or use of the other.

2. A process as in claim 1 in which the using step comprises using the ultrasound data to automatically guide the acquisition of MRI data.

3. A process as in claim 2 in which the ultrasound data is used to guide the acquisition of MRI data to positioning an MRI imaging volume in space to track a changing position of a patient organ reflected in said ultrasound data.

4. A process as in claim 1 in which the acquiring of ultrasound data comprises using an ultrasound device to generate position data identifying a position of a selected patient organ as said organ moves in space relative to a selected coordinate system, and the acquiring of MRI data comprises using an MRI device to receive said position data and image a volume that moves in space in a motion related to said position data.

5. A process as in claim 1 in which the acquiring of ultrasound data comprises acquiring sets of position data related to positions of a selected patient organ at respective times, and said acquiring of MRI data comprises acquiring sets if MRI data related to respective ones of said sets of position data, wherein each of at least some of said sets of MRI data is acquired for an imaging volume defined at least on the basis of a respective set of said position data.

6. A process as in claim 5 in which (a) a set of position data is acquired and used to position an imaging volume for an acquisition of a set of MRI data, then (b) another set of position data is acquired and used to position an imaging volume for an acquisition of MRI data, and steps (a) and (b) are repeated until a desired number of sets of MRI data are acquired.

7. A process as in claim 1 in which the MRI data is used to form at least one MRI image and the ultrasound data is used to guide acceptance or rejection of acquired MRI data in said MRI image forming.

8. A process as in claim 7 in which said ultrasound data is used to reject MRI data that corresponds to ultrasound data indicating that a selected patient organ is outside a selected range of positions in space.

9. A process as in claim 1 in which said ultrasound data is used to change at least one of the timing of acquiring the MRI data, an imaging volume for which the MRI data is acquired, and pulse sequence parameters for said acquiring of MRI data.

10. A process as in claim 1 in which said ultrasound data is used to change a phase parameter in said acquiring of MRI data.

11. A process as in claim 1 in which said acquiring of MRI data includes using at least one selected pulse sequence and further comprising using selected parameters of said at least one pulse sequence to time the acquiring of said ultrasound data.

12. A process as in claim 1 in which said acquiring of ultrasound data comprises using at least one ultrasound transducer acoustically coupled with the patient.

13. A process as in claim 12 in which said acquiring of ultrasound data comprises using a plurality of ultrasound transducer assemblies spaced from each other along the patient and acoustically coupled to the patient to transmit ultrasound energy along beam paths at an angle to each other.

14. A process as in claim 12 in which the acquiring of ultrasound data comprises forming ultrasound images of patient anatomy.

15. A process as in claim 14 in which said forming of ultrasound images comprises forming said ultrasound images at a rate exceeding 10 images per second.

16. A process as in claim 14 including using edge detection processing to identify and track motion in space of a selected patient organ at times related to said acquiring said MRI data.

17. A process as in claim 14 including forming an MRI image using said MRI data.

18. A process as in claim 17 including selectively displaying said ultrasound and MRI images.

19. A process as in claim 18 including displaying a fused image related to a combination of said ultrasound and MRI images.

20. A process as in claim 1 in which the ultrasound data is used to remove or correct for effects of a moving patient organ in using the MRI data to form MRI images.

21. A process as in claim 1 comprising using said ultrasound data to alter at least one of a magnetic gradient amplitude, a magnetic gradient phase, a radio frequency pulse, and a repetition of MRI data acquisition in said MRI unit.

22. An MRI/ultrasound system comprising:

an MRI unit for acquiring MRI data from a patient in the unit;

at least one ultrasound transducer for acquiring ultrasound data from the patient in the MRI unit;

a transducer locating system automatically generating position data tracking a location in space of the at least one transducer;

at least one computer receiving said ultrasound data, position data and MRI data and using one of the ultrasound data and MRI data to guide one of the acquisition and use of the other and to form and display at least one of an ultrasound image and an MRI image of said patient.

23. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 22 in which said ultrasound data contains information regarding at least one of a position, velocity or morphological change of an organ of interest in said patient and said at least one computer comprises hardware and software configured to alter, in response to said ultrasound data, at least one of timing of the MRI data acquisition, a position of an imaging volume, hardware parameters of the MRI unit, and use of the MRI data to form the MRI image, and/or to control at least one of a timing of said ultrasound data, triggering of said at least one ultrasound transducer, and position of said at least one ultrasound transducer depending at least in part on parameters of said MRI data acquisition.

24. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 22 in which said at least one computer comprises a controller receiving said ultrasound data and in response altering parameters of said MRI unit to affect the acquiring of said MRI data in a way leading to improvements in said MRI image.

25. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 22 in which said at least one ultrasound transducer comprises a plurality of transducer assemblies coupled with the patient at different locations, said system further including a plurality of processing devices receiving ultrasound data from respective ones of said transducer assemblies and processing the received data to generate processed ultrasound data delivered to said at least one computer.

26. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 22 in which said at least one ultrasound transducer comprises at least two ultrasound transducers sending ultrasound energy into the patient along paths crossing each other in the patient.

27. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 22 including shielding provisions reducing undesirable electronic and magnetic interaction of said ultrasound transducers and data with said MRI unit and data.

28. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 22 in which said at least one computer includes hardware and software configured to form and display both an ultrasound image and an MRI image of said patient.

29. A process of acquiring both ultrasound and MRI data of a patient substantially concurrently and using one to improve the other, comprising:

acquiring ultrasound data and MRI data of a patient substantially concurrently;

using the ultrasound data to track movement of a selected patient organ and generate motion information related to said movement;

using said motion information and said MRI data to form an improved MRI image.

30. A process as in claim 29 in which said motion information comprises at least one of displacement information and velocity information of said patient organ.

31. A process as in claim 29 including using the MRI data to guide acquisition of said ultrasound data.

32. A process as in claim 29 in which said patient organ is a cardiac artery.

33. A process as in claim 29 in which said patient organ is a selected portion of the diaphragm

34. An MRI/ultrasound system comprising:

means for acquiring ultrasound data and MRI from a patient in an MRI unit,

means for processing the ultrasound and MRI data;

said processing means comprising means for generating control information to control said means for acquiring in order to improve at least of said ultrasound and MRI data acquired thereby; and

said processing means further including means for forming and displaying at least one of an ultrasound image and an MRI image of the patient.

35. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 34 in which said means for processing generates motion data from the ultrasound data related to motion in space of a selected patient organ, and said means for generating control information uses said motion data to control at least one of the acquisition of MRI data and forming of the MRI image.

36. An MRI/ultrasound system as in claim 34 in which the means for forming and displaying comprises a means for displaying a fused image of said ultrasound image and said MRI image.