OPERATING METHOD FOR A COMPUTER TO DETERMINE AN OPTIMIZED MEASUREMENT SEQUENCE FOR A MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20140278195A1
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Feiweier, Thorsten, Stemmer, Alto
• Granted Patent: US 9,557,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/586 Detection of faults or malfunction of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/54 Control of the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/008 by doing functionality tests
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/543 Control of the operation of the MR system, e.g. setting of acquisition parameters prior to or during MR data acquisition, dynamic shimming, use of one or more scout images for scan plane prescription G01R33/546 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/561 by reduction of the scanning time, i.e. fast acquiring systems, e.g. using echo-planar pulse sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

In a method for operating a medical imaging system and a medical imaging system operating according to such a method, a measurement sequence is divided into a number of partial sequences, with each of the partial sequences resulting in a loading of at least one of these system components when the measurement sequence is executed. The partial sequences are evaluated, in terms of their number and duration, using a computerized model in order to determine whether a load limit for the at least one of the system components is exceeded. If so, the number or duration of the partial sequences is modified, and a check using the computer model is again implemented. A number or respective duration of the partial sequences that results in the load limit not being exceeded is then used as a final output in order to operate the medical imaging system.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computer to generate an operating sequence, with which said computer operates a medical imaging system, said medical imaging system comprising a plurality of components, said method comprising:

in said computer, receiving an electronic designation of a measurement sequence to be executed by said medical imaging system, said measurement sequence comprising a predetermined number of successive partial sequences that each, when executed by said medical imaging system, cause a loading of at least one of said components;

in said computer, also receiving an electronic designation of a measurement period and a division of said measurement period into a measurement interval and a pause interval;

in said computer, automatically dividing said partial sequences into a plurality of partial sequence groups, and designating an initial association of said plurality of partial sequence groups to an equal plurality of said measurement intervals, with a one-to-one relation of said plurality of partial sequence groups to said plurality of measurement intervals;

in said computer, operating a computerized model of said medical imaging system to initially check whether a loading of at least one of said components with the partial sequences of a respective individual partial sequence group is below a load limit and, if so, retaining said divisions of said partial sequences of said respective individual partial sequence group and, if not, modifying said division of said partial sequences within said respective individual partial sequence group, and/or increasing said plurality of partial sequence groups, thereby obtaining at least one of a modified grouping and a modified number of groups;

in said computer, operating said computerized model of said medical imaging system to check whether said modified grouping or said modified number of groups results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit and, if so, adopting said modified grouping or said modified number of groups as said final division and, if not, again modifying said at least one of said grouping and said number of groups until a modified grouping or a modified number of groups, when said operating said computerized model, results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit, as said final grouping or final number of groups; and

emitting a designation of said plurality of partial sequences as a final output, that conforms to said final grouping or said final number of groups, in electronic form from an output of said computer in a format configured to operate said medical imaging system.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

in said computer, receiving another, different electronic designation of said measurement period and said division of said measurement period into said measurement interval and said pause interval;

in said computer, automatically checking (a) whether the measurement interval in said another, different electronic designation of said measurement period is shorter than the measurement interval in said electronic designation of said measurement period and (b) whether said pause interval in said another, further electronic designation of said measurement period is shorter than the pause interval in said electronic designation of said measurement period;

if nether (a) nor (b) occurs, maintaining said final grouping or final number of groups; and

if either (a) or (b) occurs, executing an additional determination in said computer of said final grouping or said final number of groups.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 comprising, in said additional determination of said final grouping or said final number of groups in said computer;

in said computer, automatically dividing any of said partial sequences that are not included in said final output, as partial sequence groups subject to said additional determination, into a plurality of partial sequence groups subject to said additional determination, and designating an initial association of said plurality of partial sequence groups subject to said additional determination to an equal plurality of said measurement intervals, with a one-to-one relation of said plurality of partial sequence groups to said plurality of measurement intervals;

in said computer, operating said computerized model of said medical imaging system to initially check whether a loading of at least one of said components with the partial sequences subject to said additional determination of a respective individual partial sequence group subject to said additional determination is below a load limit and, if so, retaining said divisions of said partial sequences subject to said additional determination of said respective individual partial sequence subject to said additional determination group and, if not, modifying said division of said partial sequences subject to said additional determination within said respective individual partial sequence group subject to said additional determination, and/or increasing said plurality of partial sequence groups subject to said additional determination, thereby obtaining at least one of an additional modified grouping and an additional modified number of groups;

in said computer, operating said computerized model of said medical imaging system to check whether said additional modified grouping or said additional modified number of groups results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit and, if so, adopting said additional modified grouping or said additional modified number of groups as said final division and, if not, again modifying said at least one of said grouping and said number of groups until a modified grouping or a modified number of groups, when said operating said computerized model, results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit, as said final grouping or final number of groups; and

emitting a further designation of said plurality of partial sequences subject to said additional determination, that conforms to said final grouping or said final number of groups resulting from said additional determination, in electronic form from an output of said computer in a format configured to operate said medical imaging system.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said measurement sequence is to be executed by said medical imaging system on an examination subject, and setting said measurement period and said division of said measurement period into said measurement interval and said pause interval dependent on behavior of said examination subject.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising receiving said measurement period and said division of said measurement period into said measurement interval and said pause interval into said computer via an input made by a user via a user interface of said computer.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

in said computer, receiving an electronic designation of an initial load of said at least one of said components, and determining said resulting load of said at least one of said components dependent on said initial load.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

before dividing said partial sequences into said partial sequence groups by operating said computerized model of said medical imaging system, checking in said computer, whether a resulting loading of said least one components by execution of individual partial sequences, without division in two groups, is below said load limit and, if so, retaining said partial sequences with no grouping thereof, as said final output.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising uniformly modifying said partial sequences within said partial sequence groups.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising determining said resulting loading of said at least one of said components using a partial sequence, among said plurality of partial sequences, that most strongly loads said at least one component.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said medical imaging system is a magnetic resonance system and wherein said components comprise at least one gradient power amplifier, at least one gradient coil connected to said at least one gradient power amplifier, a radio-frequency power amplifier, and a radio-frequency transmission antenna connected to said radio-frequency power amplifier.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into an operating computer for operating a medical imaging system comprising a plurality of components, said programming instructions causing said operating computer to:

receive an electronic designation of a measurement sequence to be executed by said medical imaging system, said measurement sequence comprising a predetermined number of successive partial sequences that each, when executed by said medical imaging system, cause a loading of at least one of said components;

also receive an electronic designation of a measurement period and a division of said measurement period into a measurement interval and a pause interval;

automatically divide said partial sequences into a plurality of partial sequence groups, and designate an initial association of said plurality of partial sequence groups to an equal plurality of said measurement intervals, with a one-to-one relation of said plurality of partial sequence groups to said plurality of measurement intervals;

operate a computerized model of said medical imaging system to initially check whether a loading of at least one of said components with the partial sequences of a respective individual partial sequence group is below a load limit and, if so, retain said divisions of said partial sequences of said respective individual partial sequence group and, if not, modify said division of said partial sequences within said respective individual partial sequence group, and/or increase said plurality of partial sequence groups, thereby obtaining at least one of a modified grouping and a modified number of groups;

operate said computerized model of said medical imaging system to check whether said modified grouping or said modified number of groups results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit and, if so, adopt said modified grouping or said modified number of groups as said final division and, if not, again modify said at least one of said grouping and said number of groups until a modified grouping or a modified number of groups, when said operating said computerized model, results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit, as said final grouping or final number of groups; and

emit a designation of said plurality of partial sequences, that conforms to said final grouping or said final number of groups, in electronic form from an output of said computer in a format configured to operate said medical imaging system.

12. A computer for operating a medical imaging system comprising a plurality of components, said computer being programmed to:

receive an electronic designation of a measurement sequence to be executed by said medical imaging system, said measurement sequence comprising a predetermined number of successive partial sequences that each, when executed by said medical imaging system, cause a loading of at least one of said components;

also receive an electronic designation of a measurement period and a division of said measurement period into a measurement interval and a pause interval;

automatically divide said partial sequences into a plurality of partial sequence groups, and designate an initial association of said plurality of partial sequence groups to an equal plurality of said measurement intervals, with a one-to-one relation of said plurality of partial sequence groups to said plurality of measurement intervals;

operate a computerized model of said medical imaging system to initially check whether a loading of at least one of said components with the partial sequences of a respective individual partial sequence group is below a load limit and, if so, retain said divisions of said partial sequences of said respective individual partial sequence group and, if not, modify said division of said partial sequences within said respective individual partial sequence group, and/or increase said plurality of partial sequence groups, thereby obtaining at least one of a modified grouping and a modified number of groups;

operate said computerized model of said medical imaging system to check whether said modified grouping or said modified number of groups results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit and, if so, adopt said modified grouping or said modified number of groups as said final division and, if not, again modify said at least one of said grouping and said number of groups until a modified grouping or a modified number of groups, when said operating said computerized model, results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit, as said final grouping or final number of groups; and

emit a designation of said plurality of partial sequences, that conforms to said final grouping or said final number of groups, in electronic form from an output of said computer in a format configured to operate said medical imaging system.

13. A medical imaging system comprising:

a plurality of system components;

an operating computer;

said computer being configured to receive an electronic designation of a measurement sequence to be executed by said medical imaging system, said measurement sequence comprising a predetermined number of successive partial sequences that each, when executed by said medical imaging system, cause a loading of at least one of said components;

said computer being configured to also receive an electronic designation of a measurement period and a division of said measurement period into a measurement interval and a pause interval;

said computer being configured to automatically divide said partial sequences into a plurality of partial sequence groups, and designate an initial association of said plurality of partial sequence groups to an equal plurality of said measurement intervals, with a one-to-one relation of said plurality of partial sequence groups to said plurality of measurement intervals;

said computer being configured to operate a computerized model of said medical imaging system to initially check whether a loading of at least one of said components with the partial sequences of a respective individual partial sequence group is below a load limit and, if so, retain said divisions of said partial sequences of said respective individual partial sequence group and, if not, modify said division of said partial sequences within said respective individual partial sequence group; and

/or increase said plurality of partial sequence groups, thereby obtaining at least one of a modified grouping and a modified number of groups;

said computer being configured to operate said computerized model of said medical imaging system to check whether said modified grouping or said modified number of groups results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit and, if so, adopt said modified grouping or said modified number of groups as said final division and, if not, again modify said at least one of said grouping and said number of groups until a modified grouping or a modified number of groups, when said operating said computerized model, results in a loading of said at least one component that is below said load limit, as said final grouping or final number of groups; and

said computer being configured to emit a designation of said plurality of partial sequences, that conforms to said final grouping or said final number of groups, in electronic form from an output of said computer in a format configured to operate said medical imaging system.