Method and apparatus for evaluation of contrast agent uptake based on derived parametric images
First Claim
1. A method for imaging tissue viability or vascular function in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
- acquiring a parametric map having blood oxygenation level dependent contrast;
estimating an improved slice orientation based on the parametric map;
optimizing the slice orientation using at least one iteration of the acquiring and estimating;
subsequent to the acquiring and optimizing, administering a magnetic contrast agent to the patient; and
imaging during a transient distribution of the contrast agent in the patient at the optimized slice orientation.
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Abstract
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus (10) acquires a plurality of parametric images (60) with at least one varying imaging parameter. A parametric map (62) is constructed from the plurality of parametric images (60). At least one pilot parameter (64) is identified from at least the parametric map (62). The at least one identified pilot parameter (64) includes at least a volume of interest for a diagnostic image. A contrast agent (54) is administered to the patient (18). The identified volume of interest is imaged during influx of the administered contrast agent (54) into the identified volume of interest. The imaging uses the at least one identified pilot parameter (64).
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for imaging tissue viability or vascular function in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
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acquiring a parametric map having blood oxygenation level dependent contrast;
estimating an improved slice orientation based on the parametric map;
optimizing the slice orientation using at least one iteration of the acquiring and estimating;
subsequent to the acquiring and optimizing, administering a magnetic contrast agent to the patient; and
imaging during a transient distribution of the contrast agent in the patient at the optimized slice orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. method for imaging tissue viability or vascular function in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
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acquiring a parametric map having blood oxygenation level dependent contrast;
determining piloting information including at least a selected slice orientation based on the blood oxygenation contrast of the parametric map;
subsequent to the acquiring, administering a magnetic contrast agent to the patient; and
imaging during a transient distribution of the contrast agent in the patient using imaging parameters based on the piloting information;
wherein the parametric map and the transient distribution image are of at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s heart.
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12. A method for imaging tissue viability or vascular function in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
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(a) acquiring a plurality of images during a multiple-echo readout;
(b) estimating a pixel intensity decay time constant or rate for each pixel based on the plurality of images;
(c) constructing a first parametric map based on the intensity decay time constants or rates of the pixels;
(d) identifying an object of interest in the first parametric map;
(e) locating a center of the identified object;
(f) estimating a primary axis extending from the located center of the identified object; and
(g) repeating the steps (a)-(c) to construct an improved parametric map corresponding to the located center and the estimated primary axis, (h) determining piloting information including at least a selected slice orientation based on the blood oxygenation contrast of the parametric map;
(i) subsequent to the acquiring (a), administering a magnetic contrast agent to the patient; and
(j) imaging during a transient distribution of the contrast agent in the patient using imaging parameters based on the piloting information.
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13. A method for assessing tissue in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
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acquiring a plurality of parametric images with at least one varying imaging parameter;
constructing a parametric map incorporating a diffusion weighted image from the plurality of parametric images;
from at least the parametric map, identifying at least one pilot parameter including at least a volume of interest for a diagnostic image;
subsequent to the acquiring, administering a contrast agent to the patient; and
imaging the identified volume of interest during influx of the administered contrast agent into the identified volume of interest, the imaging using the at least one identified pilot parameter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for assessing tissue in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
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acquiring a plurality of parametric images with at least one varying imaging parameter;
constructing a parametric map from the plurality of parametric images;
identifying at least one pilot parameter including at least a volume of interest for a diagnostic image based on the parametric map;
subsequent to the acquiring, administering a magnetic contrast agent to the patient;
before or during the acquiring of a plurality of parametric images, administering a second magnetic contrast agent to the patient, the second magnetic contrast agent affecting tissue magnetization in a different and distinguishable manner from the contrast agent, the second contrast agent providing parametric image contrast; and
imaging the identified volume of interest during influx of the administered contrast agent into the identified volume of interest, the imaging using the at least one identified pilot parameter. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method for assessing tissue in a patient using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, the method comprising:
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acquiring a plurality of parametric images with at least one varying imaging parameter;
constructing a parametric map from the plurality of parametric images;
from at least the parametric map, identifying at least one pilot parameter including at least a volume of interest for a diagnostic image;
based on the parametric map, estimating an improved slice orientation by identifying an object of interest in the parametric map, locating a center of the identified object, and estimating a primary axis extending from the located center of the identified object;
repeating the acquiring and constructing steps at the improved slice orientation;
subsequent to the acquiring, administering a contrast agent to the patient; and
imaging the identified volume of interest during influx of the administered contrast agent into the identified volume of interest, the imaging using the at least one identified pilot parameter.
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26. An apparatus for characterizing contrast agent uptake in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a means for exciting a selected magnetic resonance in the patient;
a means for detecting radio-frequency resonance signals emanating from the patient responsive to the exciting of the selected magnetic resonance;
a means for reconstructing image representations from the detected radio-frequency resonance signals; and
a means for controlling the exciting means, the detecting means, and the reconstructing means, the means for controlling implementing the steps of;
acquiring a plurality of images of a region of interest in the patient wherein the plurality of images parametrically depend upon at least one imaging parameter, constructing a parametric map based on the plurality of images, determining optimized imaging conditions based on at least the parametric map, and first-pass imaging during an uptake of an administered contrast agent into the region of interest based on the optimized conditions wherein the first-pass imaging includes contrast due to the administered contrast agent. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification