Method and apparatus for identifying an organ structure of an examined object in magnetic resonance image data

A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner;
• and
• a computer including a reconstruction processor and an identification processor, the computer being configured to operate said magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire magnetic resonance measurement data from an organ structure of an examination subject, using a magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence that specifies a sampling scheme for k-space to enter said magnetic resonance measurement data into both a central region and an outer region of k-space, wherein:
• said reconstruction processor is configured to reconstruct magnetic resonance image data from the magnetic resonance measurement data entered into k-space;
• said identification processor is configured to identify the organ structure in the magnetic resonance image data;
• and
• said computer is further configured to specify said sampling scheme of k-space in said magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence to support said identification of the organ structure in the magnetic resonance image data reconstructed from the magnetic resonance measurement data entered into k-space, said sampling scheme of k-space being producing a higher sampling density in the outer region of k-space than in the central region of k-space, wherein said higher sampling density in said outer region emphasizes an outer contour of the organ structure in the reconstructed magnetic resonance image data, said identifying of said organ structure using the emphasized outer contour of the organ structure in the magnetic resonance image data.

A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a computer of a magnetic resonance apparatus, that comprises a magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner, said programming instructions causing said computer to:

• operate the magnetic resonance data acquisition scanner to acquire magnetic resonance measurement data from an organ structure of an examination subject, using a magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence that specifies a sampling scheme for k-space to enter said magnetic resonance measurement data into both a central region and an outer region of k-space;
• reconstruct magnetic resonance image data from the magnetic resonance measurement data entered into k-space;
• identify the organ structure in the magnetic resonance image data;
• and
• specify said sampling scheme of k-space in said magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence to support said identification of the organ structure in the magnetic resonance image data reconstructed from the magnetic resonance measurement data entered into k-space, said sampling scheme of k-space being configured to produce a higher sampling density in the outer region of k-space than in the central region of k-space, wherein said higher sampling density in said outer region emphasizes an outer contour of the organ structure in the reconstructed magnetic resonance image data, said identifying of said organ structure using the emphasized outer contour of the organ structure in the magnetic resonance image data.