Method for recording magnetic resonance image data when using a ventilation apparatus

• US 9,226,684 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schmidt, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US13/658,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 324/309
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7292 Prospective gating, i.e. predicting the occurrence of a physiological event for use as a synchronisation signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56509 due to motion, displacement or flow, e.g. gradient moment nulling G01R33/567 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for recording magnetic resonance image data of a patient ventilated by means of a ventilation apparatus is provided. The method includes assigning influencing information describing the effect of a respiratory movement on the image data recording to pulse sequence information, determining a magnetic resonance protocol for actuating a magnetic resonance device and a ventilation protocol for actuating the ventilation apparatus, and coordinating with one another in time, taking into account the pulse sequence information together with the influencing information, an imaging objective and a ventilation requirement, and actuating the magnetic resonance device and the ventilation apparatus in a time-coordinated manner on the basis of the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol.

Claims

1. A method for recording magnetic resonance image data of a patient ventilated by means of a ventilation apparatus, comprising:

assigning influencing information describing an effect of a respiratory movement on quality of the magnetic resonance image data to pulse sequence information;

determining a magnetic resonance protocol for actuating a magnetic resonance device and a ventilation protocol for actuating the ventilation apparatus and coordinating with one another in time taking into account the pulse sequence information together with the influencing information, an imaging objective and a ventilation requirement; and

actuating the magnetic resonance device and the ventilation apparatus in a time-coordinated manner on the basis of the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol,

wherein the magnetic resonance device is actuated for recording the magnetic resonance image data in layers according to a sequence, and

wherein the sequence of the layers is determined based on the effect of the respiratory movement on the quality of the magnetic resonance image data such that some of the layers are recorded during movement phases where the respiratory movement has less effect on the quality of the magnetic resonance image data and some of the layers are recorded during ventilation pauses where the respiratory movement has more effect on the quality of the magnetic resonance image data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ventilation protocol is determined starting from the magnetic resonance protocol selected with regard to the imaging objective.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetic resonance protocol is adjusted when no ventilation protocol fulfilling the ventilation requirement is found.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic resonance protocol is determined starting from a ventilation protocol fulfilling the ventilation requirement.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol are determined in such a way that a ventilation takes place in recording pauses and/or in that during a recording period a respiratory movement is present which undershoots a threshold value for an influencing variable and/or generates an error which is at least partially compensated for computationally given knowledge of the present respiratory movement.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the scope of the adjustment of the magnetic resonance protocol a pulse sequence and/or one pulse sequence segment is chosen such that a time period characterizing a variation with time of the image data recording and/or the duration of recording pauses is adjusted.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the duration of an echo time is extended.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the scope of an adjustment of the ventilation protocol the execution of a ventilation cycle is adjusted.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the duration of the ventilation cycle and/or the time sequence of the respiratory movement is adjusted.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a high-frequency ventilation is performed at least temporarily.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol are determined in such a way that the same phase of the respiratory movement is always present at a specific time instant of a pulse sequence.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein during the execution of the magnetic resonance protocol and a ventilation protocol a measurement of a ventilation parameter characterizing the ventilation quality is taken continuously and/or cyclically, and

wherein an adjustment of the magnetic resonance protocol and/or of the ventilation protocol is carried out or the execution of the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol is aborted when the ventilation parameter exceeds or falls below a threshold value.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic resonance protocol is determined in such a way that during a specific ventilation cycle, magnetic resonance image data is recorded from which compensation information for compensating for motion effects in further magnetic resonance image data and/or a phase correction factor describing the time offset between an actuation of the ventilation apparatus and the associated respiratory movement of the patient are/is derived.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the specific ventilation cycle is the first ventilation cycle.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol are determined and/or the magnetic resonance image data is evaluated a phase correction factor is taken into account which describes the time offset between an actuation of the ventilation apparatus and the associated respiratory movement of the patient.

16. An examination system, comprising:

a magnetic resonance device having a first control device;

a ventilation apparatus having a second control device; and

a communications link, between the first and second control devices, wherein the first control device and/or the second control device are embodied for performing a method, and wherein the method comprises;

assigning influencing information describing an effect of a respiratory movement on quality of the magnetic resonance image data to pulse sequence information;

determining a magnetic resonance protocol for actuating a magnetic resonance device and a ventilation protocol for actuating the ventilation apparatus and coordinating with one another in time taking into account the pulse sequence information together with the influencing information, an imaging objective and a ventilation requirement; and

actuating the magnetic resonance device and the ventilation apparatus in a time-coordinated manner on the basis of the magnetic resonance protocol and the ventilation protocol,

wherein the magnetic resonance device is actuated for recording the magnetic resonance image data in layers according to a sequence, and

wherein the sequence of the layers is determined based on the effect of the respiratory movement on the quality of the magnetic resonance image data such that some of the layers are recorded during movement phases where the respiratory movement has less effect on the quality of the magnetic resonance image data and some of the layers are recorded during ventilation pauses where the respiratory movement has more effect on the quality of the magnetic resonance image data.