US 10,398,344 B2 · Apparatus, methods and articles for four dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

An MRI image processing and analysis system may identify instances of structure in MRI flow data, e.g., coherency, derive contours and/or clinical markers based on the identified structures. The system may be remotely located from one or more MRI acquisition systems, and perform: perform error detection and/or correction on MRI data sets (e.g., phase error correction, phase aliasing, signal unwrapping, and/or on other artifacts); segmentation; visualization of flow (e.g., velocity, arterial versus venous flow, shunts) superimposed on anatomical structure, quantification; verification; and/or generation of patient specific 4-D flow protocols. An asynchronous command and imaging pipeline allows remote image processing and analysis in a timely and secure manner even with complicated or large 4-D flow MRI data sets.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of operation for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MIR) based medical imaging systems, the method comprising:

for a plurality of voxels of an MM image data set, grouping the voxels into a number of bins by at least one processor-based device;
reducing the number of bins via the at least one processor-based device;
for a first and a second one of the bins, determining which of the first or the second ones of the bins includes voxels representative of arterial blood flow and which of the first or second one of the bins includes voxels representative of venous blood flow;
and
assigning a first set of colors to the voxels representative of arterial blood flow and assigning a second set of colors to the voxels representative of venous blood flow, the second set of colors different than the first set of colors.

2 more elements

A processor-based device, comprising:

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium storing at least one of instructions or data;
and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium, in operation, the at least one processor:
for a plurality of voxels of an MM image data set, groups the voxels into a number of bins;
reduces the number of bins;
for a first and a second one of the bins, determines which of the first or the second ones of the bins includes voxels representative of arterial blood flow and which of the first or second one of the bins includes voxels representative of venous blood flow;
and
assigns a first set of colors to the voxels representative of arterial blood flow and assigning a second set of colors to the voxels representative of venous blood flow, the second set of colors different than the first set of colors.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/181,038Filed 5 Nov 2018 · division

Priority

17 Jan 2014

Published

US 2019/0069802 A17 Mar 2019

Granted

3 Sep 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification29 codes

A61B 5/055
Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves:…
A61B 5/0044
Adapted for image acquisition of a particular organ or body part: for the heart
A61B 5/02007
Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the cardiovascular system, e.g. pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow: evaluating blood…
A61B 5/02014
Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance: determining aneurysm

Family

Application61/928,702Us provisional application · filed 17 Jan 2014

PCT/US2015/011851Parent of this division · filed 16 Jan 2015

US 2019/0069802 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Mar 2019

Application15/112,130Parent of this division

US 10,117,597 B2Parent of this division

US 2016/0338613 A1Published application

US 10,398,344 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Apparatus, methods and articles for four dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging

Life of this patent

Apparatus, methods and articles for four dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26