Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method

• US 7,365,543 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yui, Masao, Kuhara, Shigehide, Kassai, Yoshimori
• Primary Examiner(s): SHRIVASTAV, BRIJ B
• Application Number:
  US11/699,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20070205769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 324300-322, 600407-455
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/546 Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5614 using a fully balanced steady-state free precession [bSSFP] pulse sequence, e.g. trueFISP
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5635 Angiography, e.g. contrast-enhanced angiography [CE-MRA] or time-of-flight angiography [TOF-MRA]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56509 due to motion, displacement or flow, e.g. gradient moment nulling G01R33/567 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56518 due to eddy currents, e.g. caused by switching of the gradient magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5676 Gating or triggering based on an MR signal, e.g. involving one or more navigator echoes for motion monitoring and correction

Abstract

An MRI apparatus includes an imaging signal acquisition unit, a motion signal acquisition unit, a motion amount determination unit, a motion correction unit and an image reconstruction unit. The imaging signal acquisition unit acquires MR signals as imaging signals. The motion signal acquisition unit repetitively acquires MR signals having PE amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals. The motion amount determination unit obtains a motion amount using the motion signals. The motion correction unit performs correction processing of the imaging signals in accordance with the motion amount. The image reconstruction unit reconstructs an image using the imaging signals after the correction processing.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging signal acquisition unit configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals from an object as imaging signals;

a motion signal acquisition unit configured to repetitively acquire magnetic resonance signals having phase encode amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals;

a motion amount determination unit configured to obtain a motion amount using the motion signals;

a motion correction unit configured to perform correction processing of the imaging signals in accordance with the motion amount; and

an image reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct an image using the imaging signals after the correction processing.

4. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a motion reflected component acquisition unit configured to acquire signal component reflecting a motion from the motion signals,

wherein said motion amount determine unit is configured to obtain the motion amount from the signal component reflecting the motion.

5. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion amount determine unit is configured to obtain the motion amount using motion signals acquired from a same part at a mutually different timings.

6. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion signal acquisition unit is configured to acquire the motion signals with encoding in two axis directions.

7. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion signal acquisition unit is configured to acquire the motion signals from a same slab as an imaging slab for acquiring the imaging signals.

8. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion signal acquisition unit is configured to acquire the motion signals by assigning a body axis direction of the object to a readout direction.

9. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion signal acquisition unit is configured to acquire the motion signals before and after acquisition of the imaging signals.

10. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising an imaging condition setting unit configured to set an imaging condition for acquiring the motion signals, the imaging condition including the phase encode amount.

11. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion signal acquisition unit is configured to set a sequence for acquiring the motion signals so as to decrease a step amount of an encode pulse for acquiring the motion signals gradually, and

said imaging signal acquisition unit is configured to set a sequence for acquiring the imaging signals so as to increase a step amount of an encode pulse for acquiring the imaging signals gradually.

12. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion signal acquisition unit is configured to set a slab for acquiring the motion signals so as to include a part serving as a detection target of the motion amount in a rectangular area formed by the slab and an imaging slab for acquiring the imaging signals to acquire the motion signals from the rectangular area with a sequence for acquiring the motion signals subsequent to a sequence for acquiring the imaging signals, the slab being set in a direction different from the imaging slab.

13. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motion correction unit configured to perform the correction processing with linear expansion and contraction correction.

14. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said motion reflected component acquisition unit is configured to produce reconstructed data on a areas by reconstructing the motion signals to obtain a profile of reconstructed data on at least one of the areas as the signal component reflecting the motion, the one showing a breath motion.

15. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said motion reflected component acquisition unit is configured to produce reconstructed data on a areas by reconstructing the motion signals to obtain a profile of reconstructed data obtained by weighting the reconstructed data on the areas respectively and subsequently adding processed data in an encode direction as the signal component reflecting the motion, the processed data being subjected to inverse reconstruction processing in the encode direction.

2. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging signal acquisition unit configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals from an object as imaging signals;

a motion signal acquisition unit configured to obtain a part of the imaging signals and magnetic resonance signals having phase encode amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals;

a motion amount determination unit configured to obtain a motion amount using the motion signals;

a motion correction unit configured to perform correction processing of the imaging signals in accordance with the motion amount; and

an image reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct an image using the imaging signals after the correction processing.

3. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging signal acquisition unit configured to acquire magnetic resonance signals from an object as imaging signals;

a motion signal acquisition unit configured to repetitively acquire magnetic resonance signals having phase encode amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals;

a motion amount determination unit configured to obtain a motion amount using the motion signals;

a selection unit configured to select imaging signals within a specific range in accordance with the motion amount; and

an image reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct an image using the imaging signals within the specific range.

16. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising steps of:

acquiring magnetic resonance signals from an object as imaging signals;

repetitively acquiring magnetic resonance signals having phase encode amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals;

obtaining a motion amount using the motion signals;

performing correction processing of the imaging signals in accordance with the motion amount; and

reconstructing an image using the imaging signals after the correction processing.

17. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising steps of:

acquiring magnetic resonance signals from an object as imaging signals;

obtaining a part of the imaging signals and magnetic resonance signals having phase encode amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals;

obtaining a motion amount using the motion signals;

performing correction processing of the imaging signals in accordance with the motion amount; and

reconstructing an image using the imaging signals after the correction processing.

18. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising steps of:

acquiring magnetic resonance signals from an object as imaging signals;

repetitively acquiring magnetic resonance signals having phase encode amount less than that of the imaging signals as motion signals;

obtaining a motion amount using the motion signals;

selecting imaging signals within a specific range in accordance with the motion amount; and

reconstructing an image using the imaging signals within the specific range.