Magnetic resonance imaging with resolution and contrast enhancement
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
MRI scans typically have higher resolution within a slice than between slices. To improve the resolution, two MRI scans are taken in different, preferably orthogonal, directions. The scans are registered by maximizing a correlation between their gradients and then fused to form a high-resolution image. Multiple receiving coils can be used. When the images are multispectral, the number of spectral bands is reduced by transformation of the spectral bands in order of image contrast and using the transformed spectral bands with the highest contrast.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1-2. -2. (canceled)
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3. A method of forming an isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image of a subject, the method comprising:
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(a) scanning the subject in a first direction relative to the subject to take image data of a first plurality of slices, the image data of the first plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data and having a low resolution in the first direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the first direction, (b) scanning the subject in a second direction relative to the subject which is different from the first direction to take image data of a second plurality of slices, the image data of the second plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data having at least one dimension substantially in common with the image data of the first plurality of slices and having a low resolution in the second direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the second direction;
(c) registering the first plurality of slices with the second plurality of slices to define a matrix of isotropic, high-resolution voxels in image space, the matrix having unknown high-resolution voxel values, and (d) solving for the unknown high-resolution voxel values in the matrix defined in step (c) in accordance with the image data taken in steps (a) and (b) to form the isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image in the image space, wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed with magnetic resonance imaging. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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4. (canceled)
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5. A method of forming an isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image of a subject, the method comprising:
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(a) scanning the subject in a first direction relative to the subject to take image data of a first plurality of slices, the image data of the first plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data and having a low resolution in the first direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the first direction;
(b) scanning the subject in a second direction relative to the subject which is different from the first direction to take image data of a second plurality of slices, the image data of the second plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data having at least one dimension substantially in common with the image data of the first plurality of slices and having a low resolution in the second direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the second direction;
(c) registering the first plurality of slices with the second plurality of slices to define a matrix of isotropic, high-resolution voxels in image space, the matrix having unknown high-resolution voxel values; and
(d) solving for the unknown high-resolution voxel values in the matrix defined in step (c) in accordance with the image data taken in steps (a) and (b) to form the isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image in the image space, wherein the correlation is a correlation of gradients of the image data of the first and second pluralities of slices. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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6-9. -9. (canceled)
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11. A method of forming an isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image of a subject, the method comprising:
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(a) scanning the subject in a first direction relative to the subject to take image data of a first plurality of slices, the image data of the first plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data and having a low resolution in the first direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the first direction;
(b) scanning the subject in a second direction relative to the subject which is different from the first direction to take image data of a second plurality of slices, the image data of the second plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data having at least one dimension substantially in common with the image data of the first plurality of slices and having a low resolution in the second direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the second direction;
(c) registering the first plurality of slices with the second plurality of slices to define a matrix of isotropic, high-resolution voxels in image space, the matrix having unknown high-resolution voxel values; and
(d) solving for the unknown high-resolution voxel values in the matrix defined in step (c) in accordance with the image data taken in steps (a) and (b) to form the isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image in the image space, wherein;
the image data of the first plurality of slices have a low resolution in the first direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the first direction;
the image data of the second plurality of slices have the low resolution in the second direction and the high resolution in directions orthogonal to the second direction; and
step (d) comprises fusing the first plurality of slices with the second plurality of slices such that the image has the high resolution in all directions.
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12-13. -13. (canceled)
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21. A method of forming an image of a subject, the method comprising:
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(a) performing an MRI scan on the subject to take image data having a plurality of spectral bands; and
(b) forming the image from the image data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28-29. -29. (canceled)
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30. A system forming an isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image of a subject, the system comprising:
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scanning means for (i) scanning the subject in a first direction relative to the subject to take image data of a first plurality of slices, the image data of the first plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data and having a low resolution in the first direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the first direction, and (ii) scanning the subject in a second direction relative to the subject which is different from the first direction to take image data of a second plurality of slices, the image data of the second plurality of slices being two-dimensional image data having at least one dimension substantially in common with the image data of the first plurality of slices and having a low resolution in the second direction and a high resolution in directions orthogonal to the second direction; and
computing means for (i) registering the first plurality of slices with the second plurality of slices to define a matrix of isotropic, high-resolution voxels in image space, the matrix having unknown high-resolution voxel values and (ii) solving for the unknown high-resolution voxel values in the matrix defined by the computing means in accordance with the image data taken in the first and second directions by the scanning means to form the isotropic, high-resolution, three-dimensional image in the image space, wherein the scanning means comprises an MRI scanner. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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- 31. (canceled)
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33-36. -36. (canceled)
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39-40. -40. (canceled)
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48. A system for forming an image of a subject, the system comprising:
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scanning means for performing an MRI scan on the subject to take image data having a plurality of spectral bands; and
computing means for forming the image from the image data. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification