Method and apparatus for cardiac-synchronized peripheral magnetic resonance angiography

• US 5,857,970 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Systems, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Purdy, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US08/879,938
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 600/413, 600/419, 600/509, 600/521
• US Class Current: 600/413
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56308 Characterization of motion or flow; Dynamic imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/567 gated by physiological signals , i.e. synchronization of acquired MR data with periodical motion of an object of interest, e.g. monitoring or triggering system for cardiac or respiratory gating

Abstract

A subtraction MRA image is formed by subtracting a mask image formed from diastolic MR image data from an angiographic image formed from systolic MR image data. To permit acquisition of diastolic MR image data during regurgitation of arterial bloodflow, a saturation slab is established immediately adjacent the slice of interest and slightly overlapping it on its arterially downstream side.

Claims

1. A method for producing a subtraction MR angiographic image of a slice of interest in a living patient, comprising the following steps:

monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle to detect the beginning thereof;

acquiring MR image data from the slice during systole;

establishing a saturation slab immediately adjacent the slice and slightly overlapping it on its arterially downstream side, said establishing step being carried out at or near the beginning of blood regurgitation; and

acquiring MR image data from the slice during diastole.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a subtraction image from systolic MR data and diastolic MR data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the systolic MR data are used to form an angiographic image and the diastolic MR data are used to form a mask image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein during each cardiac cycle, both of said acquiring steps, and said establishing step, are carried out.

5. A method for producing a fat-suppressed MR angiographic image of a slice of interest in a leg of a living patient, comprising the following steps:

monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle to detect the beginning thereof;

acquiring MR image data from the slice during systole;

establishing a saturation slab immediately adjacent to the slice and slightly overlapping it on its arterially downstream side, said establishing step being carried out during the same cardiac cycle and at or near the beginning of blood regurgitation;

acquiring MR image data from the slice during diastole; and

forming a subtraction image from the systolic MR image data and the diastolic MR image data.

6. Apparatus for producing an MR angiographic image with suppressed stationary tissue of a slice of interest in a living patient, comprising:

means for monitoring the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle to detect the beginning thereof;

means for acquiring MR image data from the slice during systole;

means for establishing a saturation slab immediately adjacent to the slice and slightly overlapping it on its arterially downstream side, said saturation slab being established out at or near the beginning of blood regurgitation; and

means for acquiring MR image data from the slice during diastole.