Method and apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging of arteries using a magnetic resonance contrast agent
First Claim
1. An apparatus for imaging an artery of a patient using magnetic resonance imaging and an administered magnetic resonance contrast agent, comprising,detecting means for detecting an arrival of the administered magnetic resonance contrast agent in a region of interest;
- image acquisition signal generator for generating an image acquisition signal; and
imaging means, coupled to the detecting means and image acquisition signal generator, for collecting image data which is representative of at least a portion of a center of k-space in response to the image acquisition signal.
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Abstract
The present invention is a technique and apparatus for providing preferential enhancement of an artery of interest relative to adjacent veins and background tissue by correlating the collection of a predetermined portion of data of a magnetic resonance contrast image during the arterial phase of the magnetic resonance contrast enhancement. The arterial phase of the contrast enhancement may be described as a period of a maximum, substantially elevated, or elevated contrast concentration in the artery of interest relative to adjacent veins. The present invention includes a detection system for monitoring and detecting the arrival of the contrast agent in the artery and tissues of interest. When the concentration of contrast agent in the artery of the region of interest is maximum, substantially elevated or elevated (e.g., about 20-50% greater than the response of the region of interest to a series of magnetic resonance pulses before administration of a magnetic resonance contrast agent), a predetermined portion of the magnetic resonance image data (e.g., data which is representative of the center of k-space) may be acquired. Thus, the present invention facilitates synchronization between collecting the central portion of k-space image data with the arterial phase of contrast enhancement. The center of k-space corresponds to the lowest spatial frequency data which dominates image contrast.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for imaging an artery of a patient using magnetic resonance imaging and an administered magnetic resonance contrast agent, comprising,
detecting means for detecting an arrival of the administered magnetic resonance contrast agent in a region of interest; -
image acquisition signal generator for generating an image acquisition signal; and imaging means, coupled to the detecting means and image acquisition signal generator, for collecting image data which is representative of at least a portion of a center of k-space in response to the image acquisition signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for imaging an artery of a patient using magnetic resonance imaging and an administered magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent, comprising,
monitoring means for monitoring a region of interest to sense an arrival of the administered magnetic resonance contrast agent in the region of interest; - and
imaging means for collecting image data which is representative of at least a portion of a center of k-space while the concentration of contrast agent in the artery is substantially a maximum relative to a concentration of contrast agent in veins adjacent the artery. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of imaging an artery of a patient using magnetic resonance imaging and an administered magnetic resonance contrast agent, comprising,
monitoring a region of interest to detect an arrival of the administered magnetic resonance contrast agent in a region of interest; - and
imaging at least a portion of the artery including collecting image data which is representative of at least a portion of a center of k-space when a concentration of contrast agent in the artery is substantially greater than a concentration of contrast agent in veins adjacent to the artery. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification