MRI apparatus for analyzing body motion of a subject

• US 7,834,623 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwadate, Yuji, Kanda, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval; Melissa J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vargas; Dixomara
• Application Number:
  US12/015,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 324300-322, 600410-435
• US Class Current: 324/307
• 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 a navigator device for obtaining information of body motion produced by respiration of a subject by a navigator pulse sequence, and a respiration waveform display device for displaying a respiration waveform on the basis of the body motion information obtained by the navigator device.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:

a navigator device configured to use a navigator pulse sequence in the MRI apparatus to obtain information of body motion produced by respiration of a subject;

a respiration waveform display device configured to display a respiration waveform based on the body motion information obtained by the navigator device;

and an operating device configured for use by an operator to enter an instruction for operating the navigator device based at least in part on the respiration waveform.

2. The MRI apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning device configured to present a notification when the body motion information of the subject obtained by the navigator device is determined as improper body motion information.

3. The MRI apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a parameter resetting device configured to enable parameters of the navigator pulse sequence to be reset when the body motion information is improper.

4. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:

a navigator device configured to use a navigator pulse sequence in the MRI apparatus to obtain information of body motion produced by respiration of a subject;

a respiration cycle display device configured to display a respiration cycle based on the body motion information obtained by the navigator device; and

an operating device configured for use by an operator to enter an instruction for operating the navigator device based at least in part on the respiration cycle.

5. The MRI apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the respiration cycle display device is configured to display, as the respiration cycle, an average value of cycle time of the body motion within a predetermined time.

6. The MRI apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a warning device configured to present a notification when the body motion information of the subject obtained by the navigator device is determined as improper body motion information.

7. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:

a navigator device configured to use a navigator pulse sequence in the MRI apparatus to obtain information of body motion produced by respiration of a subject;

a number-of-respiration-times display device configured to display a number of respiration times per minute based on the body motion information obtained by the navigator device; and

an operating device configured for use by an operator to enter an instruction for operating the navigator device based at least in part on the number of respiration times per minute.

8. The MRI apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a warning device configured to present a notification when the body motion information of the subject obtained by the navigator device is determined as improper body motion information.

9. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:

a navigator device configured to use a navigator pulse sequence in the MRI apparatus to obtain information of body motion produced by respiration of a subject;

an expiration time display device configured to display an expiration time based on the body motion information obtained by the navigator device; and

an operating device configured for use by an operator to enter an instruction for operating the navigator device based at least in part on the expiration time.

10. The MRI apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the expiration time display device is configured to determine the expiration time based on a lapse time between a first time when a respiration waveform passes a predetermined position in an amplitude of the body motion from an inspiration side to an expiration side and a second time when the respiration waveform passes the predetermined position from the expiration side to the inspiration side.

11. The MRI apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the expiration time display device is configured to display an average value of the expiration time within a predetermined time.

12. The MRI apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the expiration time display device is configured to display a minimum value of the expiration time within a predetermined time.

13. The MRI apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a warning device configured to present a notification when the body motion information of the subject obtained by the navigator device is determined as improper body motion information.