SYSTEM AND METHOD OF HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SCREENING

• US 20120262175A1
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BETH Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Caregroup Incorporated), General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: BETH Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Caregroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Alsop, David C., Madhuranthakam, Ananth J., Rofsky, Neil M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/314
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5607 by reducing the NMR signal of a particular spin species, e.g. of a chemical species for fat suppression, or of a moving spin species for black-blood imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5617 using RF refocusing, e.g. RARE
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56509 due to motion, displacement or flow, e.g. gradient moment nulling G01R33/567 takes precedence

Abstract

An MRI apparatus is disclosed, the MRI apparatus comprising a computer programmed to apply a fluid suppression technique prior to an imaging pulse-gradient sequence, wherein the fluid suppression technique is configured to suppress signals from fluids having long longitudinal relaxation times, and apply a fat suppression technique after the fluid suppression technique and prior to the imaging pulse-gradient sequence, wherein the fat suppression technique is configured to suppress fat signals. The computer is further programmed to apply a flow suppression preparation sequence after the fat suppression technique and prior to the imaging pulse-gradient sequence, wherein the flow suppression preparation sequence is configured to suppress moving tissue signals. The computer is also programmed to apply the imaging pulse-gradient sequence, cause the RF transceiver system to acquire MR signals during the imaging pulse-gradient sequence, and reconstruct an image from the acquired MR signals.

Claims

1. An MRI apparatus comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet, and an RF transceiver system and an RF switch controlled by a pulse module to transmit RF signals to an RF coil assembly to acquire MR images; and

a computer programmed to;

apply a fluid suppression technique prior to an imaging pulse-gradient sequence, wherein the fluid suppression technique is configured to suppress signals from fluids having long longitudinal relaxation times;

apply a fat suppression technique after the fluid suppression technique and prior to the imaging pulse-gradient sequence, wherein the fat suppression technique is configured to suppress fat signals;

apply a flow suppression preparation sequence after the fat suppression technique and prior to the imaging pulse-gradient sequence, wherein the flow suppression preparation sequence is configured to suppress moving tissue signals;

apply the imaging pulse-gradient sequence;

cause the RF transceiver system to acquire MR signals during the imaging pulse-gradient sequence; and

reconstruct an image from the acquired MR signals.

2. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid suppression technique comprises applying a fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) pulse.

3. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid suppression technique comprises acquiring a first image having a short echo time and acquiring a second image having a long echo time, and further wherein the second image is subtracted from the first image to form a final image having suppressed fluid signals.

4. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fat suppression technique comprises applying a spectral adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR) pulse.

5. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fat suppression technique comprises applying a short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) pulse.

6. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow suppression preparation sequence is a motion-sensitized driven equilibrium (MSDE) sequence.

7. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the imaging pulse-gradient sequence is a single-shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) sequence.

8. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fluid suppression technique is configured to suppress signals from at least one of fluid-filled cysts and cerebrospinal fluid.

9. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow suppression preparation sequence is configured to suppress signals from blood vessels.

10. The MRI apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer is programmed to acquire MR signals using the imaging pulse-gradient sequence immediately after the application of the flow suppression preparation sequence.

11. A method of magnetic resonance image (MRI) screening comprising the steps of:

applying a first inversion recovery (IR) pulse before an imaging pulse-gradient sequence;

applying a second IR pulse after the first IR pulse and before the imaging pulse-gradient sequence;

applying a flow suppression preparation sequence after the second IR pulse and before the imaging pulse-gradient sequence;

applying the imaging pulse-gradient sequence;

acquiring MR signals during the imaging pulse-gradient sequence; and

reconstructing an image from the acquired MR signals.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of applying the first IR pulse comprises applying a fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) pulse.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of applying the second IR pulse comprises applying a spectral adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR) pulse.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of applying the flow suppression preparation sequence comprises applying a motion-sensitized driven equilibrium (MSDE) sequence.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein acquiring MR signals comprises acquiring MR signals via a single-shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) sequence.

16. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

apply a first inversion recovery (IR) pulse configured to suppress signals from fluids having long longitudinal relaxation times;

apply a second IR pulse after the first IR pulse, the second IR pulse configured to suppress fat signals;

apply a flow suppression preparation sequence after the second IR pulse, the flow suppression preparation sequence configured to suppress moving tissue signals;

apply an imaging pulse-gradient sequence during suppression of the signals from fluids having long longitudinal relaxation times, suppression of the fat signals, and suppression of the moving tissue signals;

acquire MR signals via the imaging pulse-gradient sequence; and

reconstruct an image based on the acquired MR signals.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 having further instructions to cause the computer to apply the second IR pulse 2700 ms at 1.5 T field strength after application of the first IR pulse.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 having further instructions to cause the computer to apply the flow suppression preparation sequence 130 ms at 1.5 T field strength after application of the second IR pulse.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions cause the computer to apply a fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) pulse as the first IR pulse.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the instructions cause the computer to apply a spectral adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR) pulse as the second IR pulse.