METHOD FOR PROVIDING HIGH RESOLUTION, HIGH CONTRAST FUSED MRI IMAGES

• US 20150077105A1
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspect Magnet Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aspect Magnet Technologies, Ltd.
• Inventors: Rapoport, Uri, Auerbach, Ditza
• Granted Patent: US 9,720,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/309
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/082 Measurement of solid, liquid or gas content
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/085 Analysis of materials for the purpose of controlling industrial production systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/38 Systems for generation, homogenisation or stabilisation of the main or gradient magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5602 by filtering or weighting based on different relaxation times within the sample, e.g. T1 weighting using an inversion pulse
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5608 Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/565 Correction of image distortions, e.g. due to magnetic field inhomogeneities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction

Abstract

This present invention relates to an MRI scanning assembly and a method for fusing MRI images of a target thereby generating and providing high resolution, high contrast fused MRI images. The MRI images of the target are generated by different MRI devices operating at different magnetic field intensities. A method is also described for fusing MRI images generated by an MRI device operating with different operational parameters and operational protocols.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. An MRI scanning assembly characterized by:

an MRI scanning device operating at a first magnetic field intensity and generating a first plurality of MRI images of a target;

an MRI scanning device operating at a second magnetic field intensity and generating a second plurality of MRI images of said target, and

a processing unit configured to fuse said first plurality of MRI images and said second plurality of MRI images to generate a clear image representation of at least a portion of said target.

46. The MRI scanning assembly according to claim 45, wherein at least one of the following is being held true (a) said first magnetic field intensity is less than 1.5 Tesla;

(b) said second magnetic field intensity is greater than 5 Tesla;

(c) said target is selected from the group consisting of a group of cancerous cell, at least one anatomical organ, at least one cancerous anatomical organ and any combination thereof;

(d) said MRI scanning device operating at said first magnetic field intensity comprises an MRD device.

47. The MRI scanning assembly according to claim 45, further comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of (a) an MRI selector for selecting said MRI scanning device;

(b) an image display unit for generating and displaying said at least said portion of said target.

58. The MRI scanning device according to claim 45, wherein said target is selected from comprises food products and industrial products.

59. The MRI scanning device according to claim 45, wherein said MRI scans comprise MRI scans for searching and investigating fluids.

48. A method for fusing MRI images of a target comprising:

providing an MRI scanning device operating at a first magnetic field intensity

providing an MRI scanning device operating at a second magnetic field intensity;

generating a first plurality of MRI images of said target by said MRI scanning device operating at a first magnetic field intensity;

generating a second plurality of MRI images of said target by said MRI scanning device operating at a second magnetic field intensity, and

configuring a processing unit to fuse said first plurality of MRI images and said second plurality of MRI images to generate a clear image representation of at least a portion of said target.

49. The method for fusing MRI images of a target according to claim 48, further comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting of (a) identifying at least two regions of interest in said first plurality of said MRI images of said target scanned at said first magnetic field intensity;

(b) determining a monochrome level scaling factor between said at least two identified regions of interest;

(c) scaling each image of said second plurality of images of said target scanned at said second magnetic field intensity with said monochrome level scaling factor;

(d) generating and displaying a clear anatomic appearance of at least a portion of said target.

50. The method for fusing MRI images according to claim 48, wherein at least one of the following is being held true (a) said target is selected from the group consisting of a group of cancerous cell, at least one anatomical organ, at least one cancerous anatomical organ and any combination thereof (b) said monochrome level is selected from a grey level, a red scale, a green scale and a blue scale;

(c) said first magnetic field intensity is less than 1.5 Tesla;

(d) said second magnetic field intensity is greater than 5 Tesla;

(e) said target is selected from the group consisting of a group of cancerous cell, at least one anatomical organ, at least one cancerous anatomical organ and any combination thereof.

60. The method for fusing MRI scans according to claim 48, wherein target is selected from food products and industrial products.

51. An MRI scanning assembly characterized by:

at least one MRI scanning device generating a plurality of MRI images of a target, each one of said plurality of MRI images is associated with at least one member of a group of MRI device parameters, and

a processing unit configured to fuse at least one MRI image of said plurality of MRI images with at least remaining one of said plurality of MRI images to generate a clear image representation of at least a portion of said target.

52. The MRI scanning assembly according to claim 51, wherein at least one of the following is being held true (a) said group of MRI device parameters is selected from the group consisting of MRI scanning parameters and MRI scanning protocols and any combination thereof;

(b) said group of MRI scanning parameters comprises at least one of the following;

pixel size and dwell time;

(c) said group of MRI scanning protocols comprises at least one of the following protocols;

T1-weighted scan protocols and T2-weighted scan protocols;

(d) said target is selected from the group consisting of a group of cancerous cell, at least one anatomical organ, at least one cancerous anatomical organ and any combination thereof;

(e) said MRI scanning device comprises an MRD device.

53. The MRI scanning assembly according to claim 51, further comprising an image display unit for generating and displaying said at least said portion of said target.

54. The MRI scanning assembly according to claim 51, wherein said image representation is selected from the group consisting of an anatomic appearance and a non-anatomic appearance.

61. The MRI scanning device according to claim 51, wherein said MRI scans comprise MRI scans for searching and investigating fluids.

62. The MRI scanning device according to claim 51, wherein said MRI scans comprise MRI scans for searching and investigating fluids.

55. A method for fusing MRI images of a target comprising:

providing at least one MRI scanning device generating a plurality of MRI images of a target, each one of said plurality of MRI images is associated with at least one member of a group of MRI device parameters;

generating said plurality of MRI images of said target by said at least one MRI scanning device;

configuring a processing unit to fuse at least one MRI image of said plurality of MRI images with at least remaining one of said plurality of MRI images to generate a clear image representation of at least a portion of said target.

56. The method for fusing MRI images of a target according to claim 55, further comprising at least one step selected from a group consisting (a) identifying at least two regions of interest in said at least one MRI image of said plurality of MRI images;

(b) determining a monochrome level scaling factor between said at least two identified regions of interest;

(c) scaling each image of said at least remaining one of said plurality of MRI images said monochrome level scaling factor;

(d) generating and displaying a clear image representation of at least a portion of said target.

57. The method for fusing MRI images according to claim 55, wherein at least one of the following is being held true (a) said target is selected from the group consisting of a group of cancerous cell, at least one anatomical organ, at least one cancerous anatomical organ and any combination thereof;

(b) said monochrome level is selected from a grey level, a red scale, a green scale and a blue scale;

(c) said group of MRI device parameters is selected from the group consisting of MRI scanning parameters and MRI scanning protocols and any combination thereof;

(d) said group of MRI scanning parameters comprises at least one of the following;

pixel size and dwell time;

(e) said group of MRI scanning protocols comprises at least one of the following protocols;

T1-weighted scan protocols and T2-weighted scan protocols.

63. The MRI scanning device according to claim 55, wherein said MRI scans comprise MRI scans for searching and investigating fluids.

64. The method for fusing MRI scans according to claim 55, wherein target is selected from food products and industrial products.