Method and apparatus for administration of contrast agents for use in magnetic resonance arteriography
First Claim
1. A method of imaging an artery in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, comprising,collecting image data;
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing preferential enhancement of an artery of interest relative to adjacent veins and background tissue. The method and apparatus adapts the timing of a maximum or substantially elevated rate of infusion to correlate with the collection of image data corresponding to the center of k-space. The technique and apparatus temporally correlates the timing of a maximum or substantially elevated rate of infusion and the mapping of k-space according to the location of the artery of interest, the size of the artery of interest, the physical condition of the patient, the time delay due to the configuration of the contrast agent delivery system, and/or the type of pulse sequence employed by the imaging apparatus. Adapting the timing of a maximum or substantially elevated rate of infusion to correlate with the collection of image data corresponding to the center of k-space provides a period of a maximum or substantially elevated contrast concentration in the artery of interest relative to adjacent veins during collection of at least a portion of the image data corresponding to the center of k-space.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A method of imaging an artery in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, comprising,
collecting image data; - and
administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent to the patient prior to collecting image data, by intravenous infusion, at a rate of infusion sufficient to provide a substantially elevated concentration of the contrast agent in the artery during collection of image data representative of a center of k-space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of imaging an artery in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, comprising,
collecting image data; - and
administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent to the patient while collecting image data, by intravenous infusion, at a rate of infusion sufficient to provide a substantially elevated concentration of the contrast agent in artery relative to adjacent veins during collection of image data corresponding to a center of k-space. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of imaging an artery in a patient using a gadolinium chelate, comprising,
collecting image data; - and p1 administering the gadolinium chelate to the patietn, by intravenous infusion, at a rate of infusion which provideds a maximum concentration of the gadolinium chelate in an artery relative to the adjacent veins during collection of image data corresponding to a center of k-spae.
- View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method for administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent into a vein of a patient to enhance a magnetic resonance image of an artery of the patient, the method including:
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collecting image data; and administering the contrast agent into the vein at an infusion rate and for a period of time sufficient to provide a maximum concentration of the contrast agent in the artery during collection of at least a portion of the image data which corresponds to a center of k-space. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent into a vein of a patient to enhance a magnetic resonance image of an artery of the patient, the apparatus comprises:
an infusion mechanism, including infusion means for matching an infusion rate with a mapping of at least a portion of k-space and for infusing the contrast agent at rate sufficient to provide a substantially elevated concentration of the contrast agent in the artery during collection of at least a portion of image data which corresponds to a center of k-space. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of imaging an artery in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, comprising:
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administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent to the patient; and collecting image data which is representative of a center of k-space when a concentration of the contrast agent in the artery is substantially higher than a concentration of the contrast agent in veins adjacent to the artery. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of imaging at least a portion of an artery in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging comprising, performing a 3D gradient echo pulse sequence to obtain an image of the artery, including,
administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent to the patient; - and
collecting image data for imaging the artery including collecting data which is representative of a center of k-space when a concentration of the contrast agent in the artery is substantially elevated. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of imaging a portion of an artery in a patient using magnetic resonance imaging, said method comprising,
administering a magnetic resonance contrast agent to the patient; - and
collecting a portion of image data which is representative of a center of k-space while a concentration of the contrast agent in the artery is substantially elevated. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification