Method and system for displaying blood flow

• US 20060155187A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VasSol Inc.
• Original Assignee: VasSol Inc.
• Inventors: Zhao, Meide, Curcio, Anthony, Meng, Ning
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/419
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• 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 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56308 Characterization of motion or flow; Dynamic imaging

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for presenting anatomical and blood flow information contained in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset. A three-dimensional (3D) representation of blood flow is generated which varies with time, referred to herein as a four-dimensional (4D) presentation or display. The system allows the visualization of the dynamics of blood flow and the visualization of anatomical information via the fusion of different types of MRI data sets.

Claims

1. A method for displaying blood flow, comprising:

generating a temporal sequence of 2D phase images representing blood flow through a selected anatomical plane using PCMR imaging;

creating a temporal sequence of 3D flow images, wherein a 3D flow image is derived from a 2D phase image and includes one or more flow surfaces plotted above or below the anatomical plane at a height corresponding to the phase in the 2D phase image; and

,

displaying the sequence of 3D flow images serially to form a four-dimensional flow presentation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a 2D magnitude image of the selected anatomical plane using MRI; and

,

displaying the flow surfaces of the 3D flow images with pixel intensities matching the corresponding pixel intensities of the 2D magnitude image.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the pixel intensities are color mapped to a range of colors.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the pixel intensities are gray scale mapped to a shade of black and white.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a 3D image of selected blood vessels which pass through the selected anatomical plane where the vessels are rendered as transparent conduits; and

,

superposing the 3D image of the selected blood vessels with the 3D flow images so that the flow surfaces are contained within the vessels.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the 3D image of selected blood vessels is generated using TOF magnetic resonance imaging.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the height of the flow surface in the 3D flow image corresponds to the phase of the underlying or overlying pixel in the 2D flow image.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the height of the flow surface in the 3D flow image corresponds to the phase of a group of underlying or overlying pixels in the 2D flow image.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a 3D flow image is created for each 2D phase image to generate the temporal sequence of 3D flow images.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a 3D flow image is created for a 2D phase image and then updated with information from subsequent 2D phase images to generate the temporal sequence of 3D flow images.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporal sequence of 2D phase images is synchronized to the cardiac cycle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each successive pair of 2D phase images in the temporal sequence represents a systolic phase and a diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein each 2D phase image of the temporal sequence represents the same phase of the cardiac cycle.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the temporal sequence of 3D flow images at uniformly spaced time intervals.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the temporal sequence of 3D flow images at time intervals corresponding to the real-time intervals at which the corresponding phase images were acquired.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the temporal sequence of 3D flow images over a network in the form of pages viewable by browser software.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising encoding the temporal sequence of 3D flow images into a video format for storage in a persistent medium.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively flattening one or more flow surfaces in the 3D flow image.

19. A system for displaying blood flow, comprising:

an MRI system configured to generate 2D phase images representing blood flow through a selected anatomical plane using PCMR imaging;

a computer programmed to create a temporal sequence of 3D flow images, wherein a 3D flow image is derived from a 2D phase image and includes one or more flow surfaces plotted above or below the anatomical plane at a height corresponding to the phase in the 2D phase image; and

,

wherein the computer is further programmed to display the sequence of 3D flow images serially to form a four-dimensional flow presentation.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the MRI system is further configured to generate a 2D magnitude image of the selected anatomical plane using MRI; and

,

the computer is further programmed to display the flow surfaces of the 3D flow images with pixel intensities matching the corresponding pixel intensities of the 2D magnitude image.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the pixel intensities are color mapped to a range of colors.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the MRI system is further configured to:

generate a 3D image of selected blood vessels which pass through the selected anatomical plane where the vessels are rendered as transparent conduits; and

,

superpose the 3D image of the selected blood vessels with the 3D flow images so that the flow surfaces are contained within the vessels.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the 3D image of selected blood vessels is generated using TOF magnetic resonance imaging.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the computer is further programmed to transmit the temporal sequence of 3D flow images over a network in the form of pages viewable by browser software.

25. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for:

creating a temporal sequence of 3D flow images from a temporal sequence of 2D phase images representing blood flow through a selected anatomical plane using PCMR imaging, wherein a 3D flow image is derived from a 2D phase image and includes one or more flow surfaces plotted above or below the anatomical plane at a height corresponding to the phase in the 2D phase image; and

,

displaying the sequence of 3D flow images serially to form a four-dimensional flow presentation.