Method and apparatus for accelerating magnetic resonance temperature imaging
First Claim
1. A method for accelerating magnetic resonance (MR) temperature imaging for monitoring high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, comprising the steps of:
- conducting a HIFU therapy procedure on a subject situated in an MR imaging apparatus, by emitting high intensity focused ultrasound into the subject from a focus;
operating said MR imaging apparatus in an MR temperature imaging sequence to determine temperature changes at said focus during said HIFU therapy procedure, said MR temperature imaging sequence including acquiring MR temperature imaging data and entering said data into k-space by sampling k-space with a variable density;
automatically electronically determining an ideal acceleration rate for said sampling of k-space dependent on said temperature changes at said focus;
adjusting said variable density sampling of k-space according to the determined ideal acceleration rate; and
reconstructing a temperature image of the subject from the MR temperature imaging data entered into k-space.
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Abstract
In a method and apparatus for accelerating MR temperature imaging used in MR-monitored high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, temperature changes are determined at the focus of the ultrasound during MR temperature imaging; determining the ideal acceleration rate needed for data sampling according to the temperature changes at said focus is determined, the variable-density (VD) data sampling in k-space is adjusted according to the determined ideal acceleration rate, and the data obtained from sampling are reconstructed to form an image. The capability of accelerating MR temperature imaging with both good temporal resolution and good spatial resolution is improved by determining the acceleration rate according to temperature changes at the ultrasound focus and by adjusting the VD data sampling of k-space and thereby the benefits of good flexibility, feasibility and stability are achieved.
38 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for accelerating magnetic resonance (MR) temperature imaging for monitoring high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, comprising the steps of:
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conducting a HIFU therapy procedure on a subject situated in an MR imaging apparatus, by emitting high intensity focused ultrasound into the subject from a focus; operating said MR imaging apparatus in an MR temperature imaging sequence to determine temperature changes at said focus during said HIFU therapy procedure, said MR temperature imaging sequence including acquiring MR temperature imaging data and entering said data into k-space by sampling k-space with a variable density; automatically electronically determining an ideal acceleration rate for said sampling of k-space dependent on said temperature changes at said focus; adjusting said variable density sampling of k-space according to the determined ideal acceleration rate; and reconstructing a temperature image of the subject from the MR temperature imaging data entered into k-space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for accelerating magnetic resonance (MR) temperature imaging during MR-monitored HIFU therapy wherein an HIFU therapy head emits high intensity focused ultrasound into a subject from a focus, and wherein MR temperature image data are acquired for entry into k-space by variable-density sampling of k-space, said apparatus comprising:
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an acceleration rate determining unit that determines temperature changes at said focus during said HIFU therapy and that determines an ideal acceleration rate for sampling k-space dependent on said temperature changes; and a signal processor that adjusts the variable density sampling of k-space dependent on said ideal acceleration rate, and that reconstructs a temperature image from the MR temperature data entered into k-space. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification