System for motion corrected MR diffusion imaging

• US 9,687,172 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.), Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Government of the United States of America), Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Bhat, Himanshu, Van Der Kouwe, Andre Jan Willem, Heberlein, Keith Aaron, Tisdall, Matthew Dylan
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLOMAN, SIDMAR N
• Application Number:
  US13/527,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20130187649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 324309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56341 Diffusion imaging
• 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

A system determines motion correction data for use in diffusion MR imaging using an RF signal generator and magnetic field gradient generator which sequentially acquire in a single first direction through a volume, first and second slice sets individually comprising multiple individual diffusion image slices. The first set of slices and the second set of slices are spatially interleaved within the volume, by providing in acquiring the second slice set, a low flip angle RF pulse successively followed by a non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient for acquisition of data representing a two dimensional (2D) non-diffusion image used for motion detection of the first slice set successively followed by, a first diffusion imaging RF pulse followed by a first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient for preparation for acquiring data representing a diffusion image slice of the second slice set.

Claims

1. A system for determining motion correction data for use in diffusion MR imaging of an anatomical volume, comprising:

an RF (Radio Frequency) signal generator configured to generate RF excitation pulses in an anatomical region of interest to facilitate subsequent acquisition of associated RF echo data; and

a magnetic field gradient generator configured to generate anatomical slice specific magnetic field gradients for phase encoding and readout RF data acquisition,

wherein said RF signal generator and said gradient generator are configured to sequentially acquire a first slice set and a second slice sets in a single first direction through said volume,

wherein each of the first slice set and the second slice set comprises a plurality of individual diffusion image slices,

wherein the slices of the first slice set are spatially interleaved with the slices of the second slice set within said volume, and

wherein said RF signal generator and said gradient generator are further configured to acquire said second slice set by providing, a low flip angle RF pulse successively followed by;

a non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient for to facilitate acquisition of data representing a two-dimensional (2D) non-diffusion image used for motion detection of the first slice set,

a first diffusion imaging RF pulse, and

a first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient for magnetic preparation to facilitate acquisition of data representing a diffusion image slice of the second slice set.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said RF signal generator and said gradient generator are configured to provide, in acquiring said first slice set, a low flip angle RF pulse successively followed by:

a non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient to facilitate acquisition of data representing a two dimensional (2D) non-diffusion image used for motion detection of the second slice set,

a first diffusion imaging RF pulse, and

a first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient,

to facilitate acquisition of data representing a diffusion image slice of the first slice set.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient is successively followed by:

a second diffusion imaging RF pulse,

a second diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient, and

a diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient,

to facilitate acquisition of said data representing said diffusion image slice.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein

said low flip angle comprises a 5-30 degree angle,

said first diffusion imaging RF pulse is a 90 degree pulse, and

said second diffusion imaging RF pulse is a 180 degree pulse.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein

said first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient occurs within half the Echo Time (TE) used in acquiring said diffusion image slice of the second slice set, and

said second diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient and said echo planar imaging diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient occur within half the Echo Time (TE) used in acquiring said diffusion image slice of the second slice set.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient occurs within half the Echo Time (TE) used in acquiring said diffusion image slice of the second slice set.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said low flip angle RF pulse is followed by said non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient without any intervening pulses,

said non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient is followed by said first diffusion imaging RF pulse without any intervening pulses, and

said first diffusion imaging RF pulse is followed by said first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient without any intervening pulses.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system is configured to acquire a two dimensional (2D) non-diffusion image in a single second direction that is different than said first direction, and

wherein said system further comprises an image data processor configured to compare a plurality of two dimensional (2D) non-diffusion images comprising a set of images in each of the single first and second directions to detect a movement of an object between the compared non-diffusion images.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein

said image data processor is further configured to correct the three dimensional spatial coordinates of a diffusion image slice acquired in said single second direction relative to a diffusion image slice acquired in said single first direction, based on the detected movement of said object, to compensate for said detected movement.

10. A system according to claim 3, wherein

said diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient is an echo planar imaging diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein

said system is configured to acquire data representing said diffusion image slice of the second slice set using one of a plurality of different diffusion acquisition techniques.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein

said plurality of diffusion acquisition techniques includes at least one of:

(a) a Stejskal-Tanner technique, (b) a twice refocused technique, (c) a stimulated echo technique, (d) q-space technique, (e) a diffusion spectrum imaging technique, and (f) a diffusion tensor imaging technique.

13. A method for determining motion correction data for use in diffusion MR imaging of an anatomical volume, comprising the steps of:

generating RF excitation pulses in an anatomical volume of interest;

generating anatomical slice;

specific magnetic field gradients for phase encoding and readout RF data acquisition in said volume; and

in response to the RF excitation pulse and slice;

specific magnetic field gradient generation, sequentially acquiring a first slice set and a second slice sets in a single first direction through said volume, by providing in acquiring said second slice set a low flip angle RF pulse successively followed by;

a non-diffusion image data readout magnetic field gradient adapted to facilitate acquisition of data representing a two dimensional (2D) non-diffusion image used for motion detection of the first slice set,

a first diffusion imaging RF pulse, and

a first diffusion imaging phase encoding magnetic field gradient adapted to provide magnetic preparation to facilitate acquisition of data representing a diffusion image slice of the second slice set,

wherein each of said first and second slice sets comprises a plurality of individual diffusion image slices, and

wherein the first set of slices and the second set of slices are spatially interleaved within said volume.