Ultrasound within MRI scanners for guidance of MRI pulse sequences
First Claim
1. A process of acquiring ultrasound data and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of a patient in an MRI scanner such that a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging volume moves relative to the MRI scanner, under guidance from said ultrasound data, to track movement of an organ of the patient that moves relative to the MRI scanner to a plurality of different positions relative to the MRI scanner, comprising:
- acquiring ultrasound data indicative of a changing position of a body organ of the patient while the organ is moving relative to the MRI scanner;
acquiring MRI data from an MR imaging volume in the patient substantially concurrently with the acquisition of the ultrasound data;
computer-processing the ultrasound data to generate guidance information causing said MR imaging volume to move relative to the MRI scanner to track the changing position of said body organ such that the MR imaging volume and said moving organ undergo matching movement with respect to the MRI scanner during said MRI data acquisition;
andcomputer-processing the MRI data to generate images of at least said body organ with inherent correction for motion artifacts due to said movement of the organ relative to the MRI scanner.
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Abstract
A process and system acquiring both ultrasound and MRI data from a patient in an MRI scanner and using one to automatically guide or improve the other. The ultrasound data can track the motion of an organ such as a cardiac artery or the diaphragm and the resulting motion information can automatically guide MRI data acquisition to keep the imaging volume at the organ or interest, or can be used to accept or reject MRI data in the process of forming an MRI image, based on whether the organ of interest was within an acceptable range of positions. Conversely, the MRI unit can guide the ultrasound data acquisition so it is properly timed or otherwise controlled in accordance with MRI data acquisition.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A process of acquiring ultrasound data and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of a patient in an MRI scanner such that a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging volume moves relative to the MRI scanner, under guidance from said ultrasound data, to track movement of an organ of the patient that moves relative to the MRI scanner to a plurality of different positions relative to the MRI scanner, comprising:
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acquiring ultrasound data indicative of a changing position of a body organ of the patient while the organ is moving relative to the MRI scanner; acquiring MRI data from an MR imaging volume in the patient substantially concurrently with the acquisition of the ultrasound data; computer-processing the ultrasound data to generate guidance information causing said MR imaging volume to move relative to the MRI scanner to track the changing position of said body organ such that the MR imaging volume and said moving organ undergo matching movement with respect to the MRI scanner during said MRI data acquisition; and computer-processing the MRI data to generate images of at least said body organ with inherent correction for motion artifacts due to said movement of the organ relative to the MRI scanner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification