MRI system with means to eliminate object movement whilst acquiring its image

• US 9,709,652 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspect Imaging Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aspect Imaging Ltd.
• Inventors: Rapoport, Uri
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEG, SAMAH A
• Application Number:
  US13/939,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20140099010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0033 Features or image-related aspects of imaging apparatus classified in A61B5/00, e.g. for MRI, optical tomography or impedance tomography apparatus; arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room image data processing or generation G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56308 Characterization of motion or flow; Dynamic imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56509 due to motion, displacement or flow, e.g. gradient moment nulling G01R33/567 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 using an image reference approach

Abstract

A method of reducing the effect of object movements along MRI imaging. The method includes: acquiring a sequence of MRI consecutive images of an object; storing on a computer readable medium, for each of the images, at least one parameter p indicating spatial image orientation at which the image was taken; analyzing the sequence of the images for detection of the object movement; and tagging images of at least one movement of the object.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the effect of object movements along magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the method comprising steps of:

during MRI imaging of an object;

a. acquiring a sequence, CI, of N consecutive MRI images where N is greater than 1, CI_n, of the object;

b. for each of the N consecutive MRI images CI_n, storing on a computer readable medium (CRM) at least one parameter, p, indicating a spatial image orientation at which a respective MRI image of the N consecutive MRI images said image was taken;

c. detecting movement of the object with one or more non-MRI motion detectors, and for each detected movement M analyzing the sequence CI to find a corresponding sequence CI^M of K_M images, CI_k^M, that were taken during said movement M;

d. for each detected movement M, determining a starting time T_MS of said movement, an ending time T_ME of said movement, a time length T_M of said movement, and a movement spatial image orientation parameter P_MS at the beginning the movement;

e. for each detected movement M, whose T_M is shorter than a predetermined time length PT;

(i) acquiring a new sequence, NCI_k^M, of K_M consecutive MRI images, NCI_k^M, starting at said P_MS and

(ii) replacing said sequence CI_k^M with said NCI_k^M;

f. repeating steps (c)-(e) until no more movements whose T_M is shorter than said PT can be detected to produce an image sequence with reduced object-movement.

2. The method according to claim 1, additionally comprising a step of selecting said non-MRI motion detectors from a group consisting of passive infrared sensors;

detectors which sense body heat;

mechanical detector;

electronic detectors;

optical detectors;

acoustical detectors;

sound detectors (acoustic sensors);

opacity detectors (optical and infrared sensors and video image processors);

geomagnetism detectors (magnetic sensors, magnetometers);

reflection of transmitted energy detectors (infrared laser radar, ultrasonic sensors, and microwave radar sensors);

electromagnetic induction detectors (inductive-loop detectors);

vibration detectors (triboelectric, seismic, and inertia-switch sensors); and

any combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said parameter p is selected from a group consisting of:

angle of the image with respect to the object, spatial coordinates of the area of the image, location of MRI components and a combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, additionally comprising a step of selecting said object from a group consisting of:

adult person, person under anesthesia, infant, premature baby, animal and a combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, additionally comprising a step of characterizing at least one of said movement M by the extent of said movement.

6. The method according to claim 1, additionally comprising an image processing step prior to step (c);

wherein said processing step comprising performing Fourier transformation on said consecutive images CI_n to momentum space (K-space).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said analyzing is performed on images in K-space.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said object is selected from a group consisting of neonates, premature babies and laboratory animals.

9. The method according to claim 1, free of a step of restraining said object whilst imaging.

10. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system imaging a movable object comprising:

a. an MRI device adapted to take a sequence, CI, of N consecutive MRI images where N is greater than 1, CI_n, of an object;

b. each of the N consecutive MRI images is characterized by at least one parameter p indicating a spatial image orientation at which a respective MRI image of the N consecutive MRI images was taken;

c. a computer readable medium (CRM) in communication with said MRI device;

said CRM having instructions thereon for executing a method comprising steps of;

during MRI imaging of the object;

i. detecting movement of the object with one or more non-MRI motion detectors, and, for each detected movement M analyzing the sequence to find a corresponding sequence CI^M of K_M images, CI_k^M, in which said movement M is detected,

ii. for each detected movement M, determining a starting time T_MS of said movement, an ending time T_ME of said movement, a time length T_M of said movement, and a movement spatial image orientation parameter P_MS at the beginning the movement,

iii. for each said M, whose T_M is shorter than a predetermined time length PT;

(a) acquiring a new sequence, NCI_k^M, of K_M consecutive MRI images, NCI_k^M, starting at said P_MS, and

(b) replacing said sequence CI_k^M with said NCI_k^M;

iv. repeating steps (i)-(iii) until no more movements whose T_M is shorter from said PT can be detected to produce an image sequence with reduced object-movement.

11. The MRI system according to claim 10, wherein said MRI system additionally comprises a non-MRI motion detector.

12. The MRI system according to claim 11, wherein said non-MRI motion detectors are selected from a group consisting of:

passive infrared sensors;

detectors which sense body heat;

mechanical detector;

electronic detectors;

optical detectors;

acoustical detectors;

sound detectors (acoustic sensors);

opacity detectors (optical and infrared sensors and video image processors);

geomagnetism detectors (magnetic sensors, magnetometers);

reflection of transmitted energy detectors (infrared laser radar, ultrasonic sensors, and microwave radar sensors);

electromagnetic induction detectors (inductive-loop detectors);

vibration detectors (triboelectric, seismic, and inertia-switch sensors); and

any combination thereof.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein said parameter p is selected from a group consisting of:

angle of the image with respect to the object, spatial coordinates of the area of the image, location of MRI components and a combination thereof.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein said object is selected from a group consisting of:

adult person, person under anesthesia, infant, premature baby, animal and a combination thereof.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said detected movements is characterized by extent of said movement.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein said instruction are additionally for performing Fourier transformation on said consecutive images CI_n to momentum space (K-space) prior to said analysis.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said analysis is performed on images in K-space.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein said object is selected from a group consisting of neonates, premature babies and laboratory animals.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein said object is not restrained along the imaging.