Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method

• US 8,427,149 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichinose, Nobuyasu, Kitane, Shinichi, Yamashita, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAN, EMILY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/722,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 324300-322, 382128-133, 600407-464
• US Class Current: 324/307
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/28 Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/54 Signal processing systems, e.g. using pulse sequences ; Generation or control of pulse sequences; Operator console
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5602 by filtering or weighting based on different relaxation times within the sample, e.g. T1 weighting using an inversion pulse
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56333 Involving spatial modulation of the magnetization within an imaged region, e.g. spatial modulation of magnetization [SPAMM] tagging perfusion imaging based on arterial spin tagging G01R33/56366
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit and a cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit.

The magnetic resonance data acquisition unit consecutively acquires a plurality of magnetic resonance data for generating a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, each corresponding to a different data acquisition time, after a labeling pulse is applied.

The cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit generates the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data based on the plurality of magnetic resonance data.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit which consecutively acquires a plurality of magnetic resonance data for generating a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, each corresponding to a different data acquisition time after a labeling pulse is applied;

a cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit which generates the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data based on the plurality of magnetic resonance data so as to correspond to each of the plurality of magnetic resonance data; and

a display processing unit which sets a threshold corresponding to cerebrospinal fluid;

then extracts each of cerebrospinal fluid regions from the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data by performing threshold processing; and

generates and distinguishably displays a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images, each corresponding to each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, by coloring each of the cerebrospinal fluid regions a chromatic color.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply a saturation pulse as the labeling pulse.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply a region non-selective inversion recovery pulse before the labeling pulse is applied.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit is configured to generate the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data by using REAL reconstruction processing.

5. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply time spatial labeling inversion pulse as the labeling pulse.

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

wherein the display processing unit is configured to change coloring criterion of the chromatic color on each of the cerebrospinal fluid regions in the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data according to an acquisition time of the magnetic resonance data corresponding to each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data.

7. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply a region non-selective inversion recovery pulse before applying the labeling pulse, and to apply a saturation pulse as the labeling pulse.

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

wherein the display processing unit is configured to color the cerebrospinal fluid labeled by the labeling pulse the same chromatic color through the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply a region non-selective inversion recovery pulse before applying the labeling pulse, and to apply a saturation pulse as the labeling pulse.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring unit configured to monitor a periodic body motion of an object in a period while the plurality of magnetic resonance data are being consecutively acquired; and

wherein the display processing unit is configured to display information on which timing of the body motion each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images is imaged at, based on monitoring result of the monitoring unit.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a calculation unit which extracts each of regions of cerebrospinal fluid by performing threshold processing on each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data;

then detects a moving distance of the cerebrospinal fluid labeled between the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data; and

calculates a flow rate of the cerebrospinal fluid based on the moving distance and interval of acquisition times of the plurality of magnetic resonance data.

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

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply SPAMM (spatial modulation of magnetization) pulse or DANTE (delays alternating with nutations for tailored excitation) pulse as the labeling pulse.

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

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply the labeling pulse to a stripe patterned region or a grid patterned region selectively.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply the labeling pulse to a radial patterned region selectively.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit which consecutively acquires a plurality of magnetic resonance data for generating a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, each corresponding to a different data acquisition time, after a labeling pulse is applied;

a cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit which generates the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data based on the plurality of magnetic resonance data so as to correspond to each of the plurality of magnetic resonance data;

an acquisition unit which acquires a respiratory gating signal from an object in a period while the plurality of magnetic resonance data are being consecutively acquired; and

a display processing unit which generates and displays a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images based on the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, and displays information on which respiratory time phase each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images is imaged at, based on the respiratory gating signal.

16. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a calculation unit which extracts each of regions of cerebrospinal fluid by performing threshold processing on each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data;

then detects a moving distance of the cerebrospinal fluid labeled between the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data; and

calculates a flow rate of the cerebrospinal fluid based on the moving distance and interval of acquisition times of the plurality of magnetic resonance data.

17. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply a saturation pulse as the labeling pulse.

18. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply a region non-selective inversion recovery pulse before the labeling pulse is applied.

19. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

wherein the cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit is configured to generate the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data by using REAL reconstruction processing.

20. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply time spatial labeling inversion pulse as the labeling pulse.

21. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply SPAMM (spatial modulation of magnetization) pulse or DANTE (delays alternating with nutations for tailored excitation) pulse as the labeling pulse.

22. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply the labeling pulse to a stripe patterned region or a grid patterned region selectively.

23. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein said magnetic resonance data acquisition unit is configured to apply the labeling pulse to a radial patterned region selectively.

24. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:

a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit which consecutively acquires a plurality of magnetic resonance data for generating a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, each corresponding to a different data acquisition time, after a labeling pulse is applied;

a cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit which generates the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data based on the plurality of magnetic resonance data so as to correspond to each of the plurality of magnetic resonance data; and

a display processing unit which sets a threshold corresponding to cerebrospinal fluid;

then extracts each of cerebrospinal fluid regions from the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data by performing threshold processing; and

generates and distinguishably displays a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images, each corresponding to each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, by coloring each of the cerebrospinal fluid regions a chromatic color.

25. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:

a magnetic resonance data acquisition unit which consecutively acquires a plurality of magnetic resonance data for generating a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, each corresponding to a different data acquisition time, after a labeling pulse is applied;

a cerebrospinal fluid image data generation unit which generates the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data based on the plurality of magnetic resonance data so as to correspond to each of the plurality of magnetic resonance data;

an acquisition unit which acquires a respiratory gating signal from an object in a period while the plurality of magnetic resonance data are being consecutively acquired; and

a display processing unit which generates and displays a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images based on the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, and displays information on which respiratory time phase each of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images is imaged at, based on the respiratory gating signal.

26. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising:

a display device and a display processor including at least one computer,

wherein the display processor computer is configured to;

acquire a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, each of which has a mutually different elapsed time from application of a labeling pulse,

set a threshold corresponding to cerebrospinal fluid, and

then extract each of cerebrospinal fluid regions from the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data by performing threshold processing;

generate a plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images, each corresponding to one of the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid image data, by coloring each of the cerebrospinal fluid regions a chromatic color; and

distinguishably display the plurality of cerebrospinal fluid images on the display device.