Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and control method for the same

• US 9,739,855 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carlisle Fluid Technologies Incorporated (Carlisle Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: I, Gi Tae, Yang, Whoe Sun, Lee, Hye Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsay, Jr., Walter L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wenderoth, Frederick
• Application Number:
  US13/964,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 324309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/026 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 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/60 Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/62 Posture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/28 Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/283 Intercom or optical viewing arrangements, structurally associated with NMR apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/288 Provisions within MR facilities for enhancing safety during MR, e.g. reduction of the specific absorption rate [SAR], detection of ferromagnetic objects in the scanner room
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/48 NMR imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56341 Diffusion imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging system adaptively and dynamically adjusts color and brightness of illuminators mounted on the inside of a bore in response to a scan sequence used for magnetic resonance imaging or the state of a patient in order to relieve discomfort during magnetic resonance imaging. An illuminator control unit selects and determines optical characteristics of the illuminators in response to a scan sequence or the state of a patient.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising:

a magnet assembly having a bore for accommodating a patient;

a main control unit for controlling operation of the magnet assembly during performance of an MRI procedure;

illuminators installed on the inside of the bore;

a storage unit for storing a database of information regarding illumination colors associated with corresponding different scan sequences usable during the MRI procedure, with each scan sequence corresponding to;

(i) an illumination color associated with a human recognition time which is correlated with a length of imaging time of that scan sequence;

or (ii) an illumination color associated with a stability value which is correlated with movement sensitivity for that scan sequence, or a combination thereof; and

an illuminator control unit that receives information from the main control unit regarding a scan sequence to be used during the MRI procedure, determines an output illumination color corresponding to the scan sequence to be used from the database of information in the storage unit, and controls optical characteristics of the illuminators to generate the output illumination color during the MRI procedure.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the database of information includes, for a particular scan sequence of the different scan sequences, at least an illumination color associated with the human recognition time which is correlated with the length of imaging time of the particular scan sequence.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the database of information includes, for a particular scan sequence of the different scan sequences, at least an illumination color associated with a stability value which is correlated with movement sensitivity for the particular scan sequence, for providing stability to the patient.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit further stores information regarding optical characteristics of the illuminators corresponding to scan sequences,

wherein the illuminator control unit controls the optical characteristics of the illuminators using the information regarding optical characteristics stored in the storage unit.

5. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising a magnet assembly and a bore for accommodating a patient, comprising:

a photographing unit configured for acquiring an image of a patient in the bore, and installed on the outside of the bore;

an illuminator unit installed on the inside of the bore; and

an illuminator control unit determining a state of the patient including at least one of an eye pupil state of the patient, a facial expression of the patient, gaze direction of the patient, and a movement of the patient, by analyzing the image acquired by the photographing unit, and controlling optical characteristics of illuminators comprised in the illuminator unit to set an illumination color or brightness during an MRI procedure that provides stability, reduces discomfort, or awakens the patient, in accordance with the determined state of the patient.

6. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image of the patient is a moving image or a still image photographed at a designated time interval.

7. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the photographing unit includes a wide viewing angle camera, and photographs a top view image of an inside of the bore.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the illuminator control unit determines whether or not the patient moves by analyzing the acquired images.

9. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the illuminator control unit adjusts the color of the illuminators to a color supporting patient stability, upon determining that the patient moves.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the illuminator control unit varies the color of the illuminators according to degrees of movement of the patient.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a storage unit that stores data associating colors of the illuminators with corresponding degrees of movement of the patient,

wherein the illuminator control unit controls the color of the illuminators using the data stored in the storage unit.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the illuminator control unit recognizes pupils of the patient from the acquired image.

13. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the illuminator control unit compares a current pupil size of the patient with a pupil size of the patient at an initial stage of magnetic resonance imaging acquired images.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, if the current pupil size of the patient is greater than the pupil size of the patient at the initial stage of magnetic resonance imaging, the illuminator control unit adjusts the color of the illuminators to a color providing stability to the patient.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, if the pupils of the patient are not recognized as normal from the acquired image, the illuminator control unit adjusts the color of the illuminators to a color representing a short recognition time and increases brightness of the illuminators.

16. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the illuminator control unit recognizes a facial expression of the patient from the acquired image.

17. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the illuminator control unit adjusts the color of the illuminators to a color corresponding to a recognized facial expression of the patient.

18. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the illuminator control unit determines the gaze direction of the patient from the acquired image.

19. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the illuminator control unit decreases brightness of illuminators corresponding to the determined gaze direction.

20. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a color palette comprising a plurality of arranged colors installed on the inside of the bore.

21. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the illuminator control unit determines a gaze direction of the patient by analyzing the acquired image, and adjusts the color of the illuminators to a color of the color palette corresponding to the gaze direction of the patient.

22. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a storage unit storing information associating colors of the color palette with corresponding gaze directions of the patient,

wherein the illuminator control unit controls the color of the illuminators using the information stored in the storage unit.

23. A control method in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising a magnet assembly, a bore for accommodating a patient including illuminators installed on the inside of the bore, and at least one control unit, the control method performed by the at least one control unit and comprising:

determining a scan sequence to be employed in an MRI procedure;

determining an output illumination color corresponding to the scan sequence from a database of information stored in a storage unit of the MRI apparatus, wherein the information includes illumination colors associated with corresponding different scan sequences usable during the MRI procedure, with each scan sequence corresponding to;

(i) an illumination color associated with human recognition time which is correlated with a length of imaging time of that scan sequence, or (ii) an illumination color associated with a stability value which is correlated with movement sensitivity for that scan sequence, or a combination thereof, and

performing the MRI procedure and controlling the illuminators to provide the output illumination color corresponding to the scan sequence during the MRI procedure.

24. The control method according to claim 23, wherein the database of information includes at least an illuminator color representing a short recognition time associated with a corresponding scan sequence requiring a long time for magnetic resonance imaging.

25. The control method according to claim 24, wherein the database of information includes at least an illumination color providing stability to a patient associated with a corresponding scan sequence sensitive to movement of the patient.

26. A control method in a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising a magnet assembly and a bore for accommodating a patient including illuminators installed on the inside of the bore, the control method comprising:

acquiring, by a camera installed on the outside of the bore, an image of a patient in the bore;

determining, by at least one processor, a state of the patient including at least one of an eye pupil state of the patient, a facial expression of the patient, a gaze direction of the patient, and a movement of the patient, by analyzing the acquired image; and

controlling, by the at least one processor, optical characteristics of the illuminators to set an illumination color or brightness during an MRI procedure that provides stability, reduces discomfort, or awakens the patient, in accordance with the determined state of the patient.

27. The control method according to claim 26, wherein the determination of the state of the patient includes determining whether or not the patient moves.

28. The control method according to claim 27, wherein the control of the optical characteristics of the illuminators includes adjusting the color of the illuminators to a color providing stability to the patient, upon determining that the patient moves.

29. The control method according to claim 26, wherein the determining of the state of the patient includes determining whether or not pupils of the patient are recognized from the acquired image or whether or not the pupils of the patient are dilated from the acquired image.

30. The control method according to claim 29, wherein the control of the optical characteristics of the illuminators includes, if the pupils of the patient are not recognized, adjusting the color of the illuminators to a color representing a short recognition time and increasing brightness of the illuminators.

31. The control method according to claim 29, wherein the control of the optical characteristics of the illuminators includes, if the pupils of the patient are dilated, adjusting the color of the illuminators to a color providing stability to the patient.

32. The control method according to claim 26, wherein the determination of the state of the patient includes determining the gaze direction of the patient.

33. The control method according to claim 32, wherein the control of the optical characteristics of the illuminators includes decreasing brightness of illuminators corresponding to the determined gaze direction.

34. The control method according to claim 26, wherein the determining of the state of the patient includes determining which color a patient is looking at of a plurality of colors arranged on a color palette.

35. The control method according to claim 34, wherein the control of the optical characteristics of the illuminators includes adjusting the color of the illuminators to the color of the color palette at which a patient gazes.