Method for generating a gating signal for an MRI system using an ultrasonic detector
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Abstract
An MRI system includes an ultrasonic detector system that includes an ultrasonic transducer placed to detect movement of selected anatomic structure in a patient. The transducer signal is analyzed to produce a gating signal which is used by the MRI system to trigger data acquisition.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1-33. -33. (canceled)
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34. A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising:
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a pulse generator to direct the magnetic resonance imaging system to perform an imaging pulse sequence to acquire magnetic resonance image data including data which is representative of the center of k-space and data which is representative of the periphery of k-space;
an image processor to generate a magnetic resonance image of at least a portion of the patient using the magnetic resonance image data;
an acoustic transducer to irradiate an anatomic structure in the patient using ultrasonic energy;
a receiver to measure ultrasonic energy reflected by the anatomic structure and to generate echo signals in response thereto;
a signal analyzer, coupled to the receiver, to produce a plurality of gating signals using the echo signals, including;
a first gating signal in response to a first motion of the anatomic structure, and a second gating signal in response to a second motion of the anatomic structure; and
wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system, in response to the first gating signal, acquires a first set of data, and in response to the second gating signal acquires a second set of data. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of imaging a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, the method comprising:
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irradiating an anatomic structure in the patient with acoustic energy;
measuring echo signals wherein the echo signals are reflections of acoustic energy from the anatomic structure;
analyzing the echo signals to detect motion of the anatomic structure;
generating a plurality of gating signals in response to detecting the motion of the anatomic structure, including;
a first gating signal in response to a first predetermined motion of the anatomic structure, and a second gating signal in response to a second predetermined motion of the anatomic structure;
collecting first image data of a magnetic resonance imaging sequence in response to the first gating signal; and
collecting second image data of the magnetic resonance imaging sequence in response to the second gating signal. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification