Line scan diffusion imaging
First Claim
1. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
- providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses that includes a series of pairs of radio frequency pulses, which pairs each define a pair of planes that intersect at an intersection that defines an imaging volume, wherein the imaging volumes defined by the pairs are distinctly positioned and are part of a first image surface passing through the sample and having a spatial orientation that differs from the spatial orientation of the planes defined by the pairs,providing magnetic diffusion gradients in the sample and associated with at least a subset of the imaging volumes,acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection of the planes in the step of providing a series of selective pulses, wherein at least a subset of the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals are responsive to the influence of the diffusion gradients, andprocessing the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals acquired in the step of acquiring to obtain an image that includes lines corresponding to the imaging volumes defined by the pairs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging appparaus and methods, including providing selective radio frequency pulses including pairs of pulses, which define planes with an intersection that defines an imaging volume. The imaging volumes are part of a first image surface passing through the sample and having a spatial orientation that differs from the spatial orientation of the planes. The method further includes providing magnetic diffusion gradients in the sample which are associated with at least a subset of the volumes, and acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection, with at least a subset of the echo signals being responsive to the gradients. The signals are processed to obtain an image that includes lines corresponding to the imaging volumes.
82 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
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providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses that includes a series of pairs of radio frequency pulses, which pairs each define a pair of planes that intersect at an intersection that defines an imaging volume, wherein the imaging volumes defined by the pairs are distinctly positioned and are part of a first image surface passing through the sample and having a spatial orientation that differs from the spatial orientation of the planes defined by the pairs, providing magnetic diffusion gradients in the sample and associated with at least a subset of the imaging volumes, acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection of the planes in the step of providing a series of selective pulses, wherein at least a subset of the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals are responsive to the influence of the diffusion gradients, and processing the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals acquired in the step of acquiring to obtain an image that includes lines corresponding to the imaging volumes defined by the pairs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
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providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses that includes a series of pairs of radio frequency pulses, which pairs each define a pair of planes that intersect at an intersection that defines an imaging volume, wherein the imaging volumes defined by the pairs are distinctly positioned and are part of a first image surface passing through the sample and having a spatial orientation that differs from the spatial orientation of the planes defined by the pairs, and wherein the step of providing a series of selective pulses alternately swaps the orientation of first and second successively defined pairs of the selective radio frequency pulses, such that the plane defined by the first pulse in time in the first of the successive pairs does not coincide within the sample with the plane defined by the last pulse in time in the second of the successive pairs, acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection of the planes in the step of providing a series of selective pulses, and processing the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals acquired in the step of acquiring to obtain an image that includes lines corresponding to the imaging volumes defined by the pairs. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
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providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses that includes a series of pairs of radio frequency pulses, each of the pairs defining a pair of planes that intersect at an intersection that defines an imaging volume, wherein the imaging volumes defined by the pairs are distinctly positioned and are part of a first image surface passing through the sample, and wherein the step of providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses is performed in an interleaved manner to successively define the imaging volumes with different sensitivities to a parameter, acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection of the planes in the step of providing a series of selective pulses, and processing the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals acquired in the step of acquiring to obtain at least one image that includes lines corresponding to the imaging volumes defined by the pairs. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:
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providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses that includes a series of pairs including a selective two-dimensional radio frequency and another selective radio frequency pulse, wherein the two dimensional radio frequency pulse in each pair defines a pulse-defined volume and the other radio frequency pulse in that pair defines a plane that intersects the pulse-defined volume at an intersection that defines an imaging volume, wherein the imaging volumes defined by the pairs are distinctly positioned and form part of a plurality of image surfaces passing through the sample, providing magnetic diffusion gradients in the sample and associated with at least a subset of the imaging volumes, acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection of the pulse-defined volumes and the planes in the step of providing a series of selective pulses, wherein at least a subset of the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals are responsive to the influence of the diffusion gradients, and processing the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals acquired in the step of acquiring to obtain a plurality of images that each include lines corresponding to the imaging volumes in one of the imaging surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, comprising:
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means for providing a series of selective radio frequency pulses that includes a series of pairs of radio frequency pulses, which pairs each define a pair of planes that intersect at an intersection that defines an imaging volume, wherein the imaging volumes defined by the pairs are distinctly positioned and are part of a first image surface passing through the sample and having a spatial orientation that differs from the spatial orientation of the planes defined by the pairs, means for providing magnetic diffusion gradients in the sample and associated with at least a subset of the imaging volumes, means for acquiring a series of nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals resulting from the intersection of the planes in the step of providing a series of selective pulses, wherein at least a subset of the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals are responsive to the influence of the diffusion gradients, and means for processing the nuclear magnetic resonance echo signals acquired in the step of acquiring to obtain an image that includes lines corresponding to the imaging volumes defined by the pairs.
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45. A magnetic resonance imaging method, comprising:
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simultaneously exciting orthogonal gradient coils to a first plurality of extents during a magnetic resonance imaging sequence to sensitize the sequence to diffusion in a first direction, simultaneously exciting the orthogonal gradient coils to a second plurality of extents during a second magnetic resonance imaging sequence to sensitize the sequence to diffusion in a second direction, the first direction being orthogonal to the second direction, and simultaneously exciting the orthogonal gradient coils to a third plurality of extents during a third magnetic resonance imaging sequence to sensitize the sequence to diffusion in a third direction, the first, second, and third directions being orthogonal to each other, wherein there are first, second, and third ones of the gradient coils, and wherein each of the steps of simultaneously exciting includes exciting each of the first, second and third of the three orthogonal gradient coils. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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Specification